


His Irish Angel PT 2 : Blood Ties

by DavinaCFox



Category: Gotham (TV), Shutter Island (2010), Would You Rather (2012)
Genre: AU, Action, Bombs, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, Eventual Happy Ending, Everyone lives, Explosions, F/M, Hand Jobs, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Oral Sex, Sex Talk, Strong Female Characters, Tragic Romance, True Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-09-30 03:55:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 94,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17216540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavinaCFox/pseuds/DavinaCFox
Summary: Oswald and Molly's happy life is plunged into danger and darkness once more - starting with a call from a stranger, who has uncovered a shocking secret – terrible experiments are being carried out on patients at Ashecliffe Hospital, and one of the victims is Oswald's cousin, Julian Lambrick, who he has not seen for many years.Oswald rescues his cousin, a victim of experiments with a mutated Tetch virus, who was driven to psychotic behaviour because of it- but is then devastated to learn Julian may not live very long due to the damage caused to him at Shutter Island. But worse is to come as Jeremiah Velaska escapes from Arkham, and as he sets off a bomb in Gotham and kidnaps River Mooney, Oswald and Molly have a heavy fight on their hands – to defeat Velaska, save River, and to stop a manic named Shepard Lambrick from releasing a mutation of the Tetch virus that has been years in secret development at Ashecliffe Asylum on Shutter Island.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear readers :-) 
> 
> This is the sequel to the AU fic His Irish Angel PT1: Molly MacQueen.  
> So please read part one first, because if you haven't, you won't know why Oswald has a grudge to settle with Jeremiah, or the back story of Oswald and his wife Molly, or who River 'Baby Fish' Mooney is, and why they are both important to this story! 
> 
> This fic is set five years after the end of Part One and also has crossover (AU) elements to movies Would You Rather and Shutter Island. If you liked Part One you will love this – Molly is back to kick some ass :D :D
> 
> And I'll just mention that while an attempted rape is mentioned in the past, this story does not contain rape of any description. And the storyline regarding the new version of the Tetch virus, in this AU fic, is the cause of Julian's violent behaviour and for his attack on Iris, so there's an AU perspective to the Would You Rather canon storyline.
> 
> And... for anyone who cried at any point reading my (unrelated) Gotham Trilogy, if you cried reading that, you probably will at some point, cry reading this – it's got a lot of action and passion, but also a very emotional thread running through one of the storylines. It's a heavy roller coaster, enjoy! :-)

**Introduction**

**Ashecliffe Hospital, Shutter Island:**

 

The rain was falling heavily and the wind was howling. Beyond the island, the waves were rough as the sea churned. Night had brought with it a heavy storm that in the morning would eventually die out and drift far off, reaching Gotham City as heavy rain, but for now as lightning streaked the skies and thunder rumbled overhead, and as the rain lashed the barred windows and the lights flickered, as she stood over his bed, the nurse - an undercover private investigator - glanced back towards the doorway, fearful of being caught. This was the newly built C Block, the place where they kept the inmates who would _not_ be leaving alive...

_And she had seen enough and found out too much. She had come here using her nursing qualifications to check out the place and to ensure her client that she would be safe to arrange a meeting, but had found out so much more than she had expected. Now she just wanted to grab the evidence and leave as soon as she could. This was beyond her. This was a matter for the FBI..._

As she stood next to the patient's bed, the dim lamp light flickered and he turned his head, exposing an ugly scar that had been closed with stitches. He was covered in those scars, from all the times they had carved into his mind, testing the virus, then testing the effect of the cure. He was going to die if she didn't do something. Too many had died...

“Can you hear me?” she said as she clasped his hand and whispered into his ear.

“ _Yes...”_ he murmured, as his eyes stayed shut.

“I need to find someone who can get you out of here,” she told him, “Think – is there anyone who can help you?”

He took a weak breath and shifted uncomfortably beneath damp sheets. The bed stunk of urine again. She would change his sheets before she turned out the light, she wanted to try and get some fluids into him too, he was very weak now - but he hated needles and was too far gone to understand exactly what she was doing. He still had the ability to panic and fight back and he would shout and that would attract too much attention. After several years of being used as little more than a lab rat, he feared everyone.

“Listen to me,” she said, “They're talking about finishing this experiment. Dissecting your brain tissue. They're going to _kill_ you! I have to try and get some help! Who is out there for you, who misses you? There must be someone...”

He shivered and grasped at the sheets, clutching them tightly as he opened his pale eyes and struggled to focus on her gaze. At the back of his damaged mind was a misty memory of being lifted into the arms of someone who made him feel safe, he had been a child, it had been so long ago... He recalled the young man who had showed him the sparkling sunlit river and the city beyond it as he had said, _Some day, your Uncle Oz shall be someone in this city!_ He could see his pale face and his distinctive nose and his raven black hair and ice blue eyes that lit up with warmth as he said those words... then he found his name.

“ _My Uncle Oz...”_

“Your Uncle? Can you tell me more about him?” She stroked what was left of his fair hair, avoiding the side of his head that had been shaved and bore a livid scar, “Who is Uncle Oz?”

He took in another breath.

“ _Oswald... Cobblepot...he's in Gotham City...”_ he gave a weak sob as the healing scar throbbed, _“Help me... I want to get out of here... please!”_

Tears streaked his face.

“Shh,” she said, stroking his hair again, “I'll find him for you. I'll do everything I can to help. Please don't give up. Just hold on a while longer.”

He looked up at her as desperation shone in his gaze, then his eyes started to close and he was gone again, breathing heavily as he shivered. She set about the task of cleaning him up and changing the sheets, then she added a warm blanket to the bed. After turning out the light, she left his cell and hurried off back to her living quarters, she knew she didn't have many days to track down Oswald Cobblepot, because her patient wouldn't last much longer. She began her search that night, as she made plans to grab all the evidence she could safely assemble. She was leaving Shutter Island soon and she was never coming back - what had started as a routine case had turned into something far too big for a private investigator to handle...

 

Chapter 1

 

The skies were clear early that morning and the waters of the Gotham river flowed gently as Oswald and Molly took a walk on a spring day. Molly was holding their son's hand, he was five years old and to Oswald, it only seemed like yesterday when Molly had given birth to him and he had held him for the first time, seeing the best of both of them in their blue eyed, dark haired son who had the Cobblepot nose and his mother's smile. It was Oswald who had suggested they name him Cain Liam Cobblepot, and Molly had thought it was perfect – a variation on the spelling of his grandfather's name, and of course his middle name, a tribute to her dead fiancé, the late Liam Sweeney.

Life had changed for Oswald in so many ways since the day he had first taken Molly in his arms. She had loved him, really loved him – and helped him to gain new esteem. These days, when she told him he was attractive he believed her, and when he looked in the mirror, although the years had seen him gain a little weight, he liked what he saw. It had taken him long enough, but now Oswald finally had confidence.

He had known on the day he had married her, as he put the ring on her finger and looked into her eyes, this was the start of the rest of his life, and it was going to be happy. And for the past five years, it had _almost_ been perfect. Velaska was still in Arkham under close guard, despite this, he had apparently been attacked by a cellmate three years ago – and fought back and slit his assailant's throat. Yet again, Velaska had survived an assassination attempt. Then Molly had confessed to Oswald - it had been a carefully thought out plan between her and her father and Victor to try and ensure he would never pose a threat again. Oswald had not been angry. He had felt moved to think those closest to him had gone to such lengths to protect him. He knew his abduction five years before and his ordeal at Velaska's hands had scarred them all, and because of that, he took the news with good grace, after reminding his wife _never_ to try and kill one of his enemies again, because, he had said, that was his job...

But life had been good to him, Oswald was certain of that as they headed down a cobbled street in the older part of town, where walls were scarred from the days of the Gotham war, as up ahead, the calm river glistened in the morning sunshine.

Molly took hold of Oswald's hand, giving it a squeeze as she stopped walking, lingering back beside a damaged wall that had been covered with a mural. She smiled proudly, then looked to Oswald as he stood there looking dashing in his immaculate suit with his dark hair swept up in spikes.

“I do love that,” she said as she smiled and a sparkle came to her eyes.

Oswald's face flushed as he looked at the wall art, in the image he was younger and slimmer and carried a shotgun. _Penguin's Army_ had been written beneath it. This was one of the may tributes in parts of the city still scarred by the damage left over from the conflict twelve years before. And it made him blush when she reminded him how no one had forgotten the underworld's king had fought for his city...

“That was a very long time ago!” he said, smiling as he looked away, still blushing.

“And you're still a hero,” Molly reminded him, “My hero.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek and his smile got wider as he turned his head and met her gaze.

“I am not a hero. I am not brave!”

“Yes, you are!” she replied, and then she looked down at their son.

“Cain,” she said, “Who's that on the wall?”

He looked up at the mural and pointed excitedly.

“It's Daddy!” he said, and Oswald was still blushing.

“I only did what anyone else would have done in a crisis,” he said to his son, “I'm not special!”

“Yes, you are!” Molly reminded him, and Oswald was still smiling as they walked on, stopping close to the river, where Molly pointed to passing boats and Cain watched excitedly.

As Oswald stood there, he felt a slight ache in his damaged leg, but his leg brace was doing its job well today. And standing here beside the river, looking across the water at the city, he suddenly thought back to a day that had been much like this one, but many years ago... He looked to his son, and then back at the water and as Molly caught a far away look in his eyes, she stood closer and put her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I think we should spend a few weeks in Ireland in the summer. I want to go home and see Mum and Dad. Cain's getting bigger every day, they don't see enough of him. And we should definitely have another baby soon. That's what I want to do, I want to spend the next few years having more babies, Oswald. A nice, peaceful life, just you and me and the kids...”

“That sounds perfect, my dear...”

Oswald was still looking over the water, and his reply had sounded distant.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked softly.

“ _Mommy, look! A big ship!”_ yelled Cain as he pointed to a vessel passing by, and Oswald smiled as he saw it bore the name _MacQueen Shipping._

“That's one of Granddad's boats!” she told her son, then she whispered in her husband's ear, _“With another shipment of Daddy's guns on board!”_ , and Oswald laughed.

Then his smile faded and he looked about the river, then turned to Molly.

“I was just recalling a memory from long ago... When I was sixteen years old, I stood here with Mother and her sister -”

Molly's eyes registered surprise.

“You never told me your mother had a sister?”

“She was older than Mother. She married a wealthy businessman. They had a son, he would have been Cain's age when I first met him. I remember Mother talking to my aunt, and my aunt telling her she wanted to leave her husband. She said he was a bully. I was busy with her little boy, showing him the view of the city. We stood on this very spot, it must have been twenty five years ago! I lifted him into my arms and I showed him the tall buildings across the river and I said, _some day, your Uncle Oz shall be someone in this city!_ He used to call me Uncle Oz, because I was so much older. They didn't visit often. Years later my aunt died and Mother tried to contact the family, but the husband didn't want to know her or me. I spoke to him once at the funeral. He looked at me like I was still no one. I reminded him I was now Penguin. It didn't make much difference.”

“What about his son?” Molly asked.

“He had a breakdown after his mother died. He wasn't at the funeral, he was in a psychiatric hospital. I always meant to look him up over the years, but there was underworld business to attend to, then the war here in Gotham and life went on... I didn't think much about anything going on outside of this city. It's been a long while since a fond memory came back to me like that, but I remember the day I told that little boy I'd be somebody in this town.”

“And now you run the underworld,” she reminded him, and as she looked into his eyes, she smiled as love shone in her gaze, “My Oswald, my hero, covered in scars and every bit as gorgeous as the day I first laid eyes on him!”

“You flatter me far too much,” he said softly, giving her a wink, then they shared a kiss. Moments later they were walking away from the river, heading beck to the car to take their son to school, and then on to home as the blue skies began to cloud over with the promise of something only too familiar to the city of Gotham – more rain was on the way.

 

By the time the rain was falling, in her office at her private practise in a shady, narrow backstreet where the lit up sign above the premises said _Doctor R Mooney_ , River – who, thanks to her father – was now known as Doc Baby Fish to her underworld clients, sat at her desk, with her red leather jacket draped over the back of her seat as she leaned back, twirled her dark spiked hair and listened to the caller on the other end of the phone.

“Yes, that sounds interesting, Hugo,” she told Professor Strange, “I would definitely like to know more about how that works... Memory editing sounds like a useful invention, it could really take off. Have you tested it yet?”

“Not yet, River,” he replied, “But I shall let you know when I'm ready to try it out. You were such a good student when I trained you, I'm sure you will pick it up very easily.”

River smiled, thinking back to the two years she had spent working with Strange. He had taught her everything he knew, and now she had her own practise and all her plans worked out well... _Except for one thing_...

Hugo was talking about his plans to take the weekend off his research, he mentioned golf and as she looked up through the open office doorway, she saw the narrow corridor and a view of the waiting area, and the man on the ladder who swore profusely as the sign outside flickered again and he flipped a switch to turn it off while he examined wiring.

“I should go now,” Strange said, “Speak soon, River.”

“Wait – I need some advice...” River lowered her voice, mindful of the fact that she was not alone in this building.

“Advice? That sounds interesting, River. I take it this advice, by your hushed tone, has more to do with seeking the advice of one older and wiser than yourself, and most likely has nothing to do with work?”

“You would be correct with that assumption.”

“What advice do you need?” he asked.

River felt tense as she took a deep breath and paused to gather her thoughts.

“I'm very shy... apparently my Dad was the same at my age...”

“Oh, I see. This would be related to your personal life, I assume?”

“Yes,” River replied, “I just need some useful tips... I really like someone and I've liked them for a while...Can you like someone so much that you just can't tell them?”

Strange paused, then he answered kindly.

“Sounds like someone has a crush.”

“I have liked a certain person for a couple of years, at first it was just a mild attraction, but now, it's much more. And I struggle to get that across.”

Strange paused for thought again.

“Well, you'll just have to find the courage to tell him – or her – how you feel.”

“It's a guy. But I can't, I'm too awkward with that stuff.”

“Who is he?” Strange asked.

“Someone who works for my father.”

“One of those attractive young men who tend the bar at the weekends at the Iceberg Lounge? All you have to do is go in and order a couple of drinks, get talking -”

“No, he's older than me and he's not a bar tender.”

“Older? Then I'm sure he will know how to handle his response to you, River. Do I know him?”

“No, no, definitely not!” she said quickly.

“Well you should just speak to him, River. Ask him for a date - he will only accept or refuse.”

“He's here right now, he's fixing the wiring in my sign for me.”

“Then take this opportunity and ask him! I hope it goes well. And remember, while you are like your father in many ways, there must be some of Fish Mooney in you too. Your mother was very alluring. Perhaps try and channel that? I must dash, River. I have much to do. Take care.”

He ended the call. River gave a heavy sigh, then she looked through the open doorway. The sign flickered, then lit up brightly, flickered again and she heard him give it a heavy whack, and then the sign shone brightly.

Then he walked up to the door and entered the room. She was still thinking about what Hugo had said. Be alluring like her mother? She had only ever met her once. And she was River Mooney, awkward like her Dad – she didn't know how to be alluring. And he was standing there in those jeans that hugged his hips and that leather jacket that made her notice his broad shoulders...

“I fixed the sign,” said Victor Zsasz, “Loose wiring, I just tightened everything up.”

River nodded, listening as she tried to recall Hugo's advice.

“Victor,” she said, and as he looked at her, she felt her throat go dry, “Don't you think I've done well? I mean, I'm in my mid twenties, a qualified doctor with a successful practise...”

“Sure,” he agreed.

“And do you think that might help to impress someone if I wanted to ask them on a date?”

Victor shrugged.

“I don't know.”

“It's just that I struggle with these things and I really like someone and -”

“Want me to ask them for you?” he said as he started to smile.

“No, I would need to ask them myself.”

“Is it anyone I know?”

Her face flushed. In that moment, she recalled a conversation with her father, when he had told her how shy he had been in the old days. It made her wonder how the man the city knew as Penguin had _ever_ managed to date her mother, _and_ later marry Molly MacQueen...

“I believe you do know him, yes.”

“So who is he? I could put in a good word.”

“No I don't think you could, Victor. Never mind, I'm sure I'll find a way.”

“I'm happy to help, Baby Fish.”

He smiled and her heart missed a beat.

“No, I can handle this myself. But thank you for the kind offer.”

“I should be going, I have other business to attend to,” Victor told her.

“Thank you for stopping by,” she said.

“I hope you get your date!” he replied.

She smiled politely and as he left, her smile faded.

“ _Well I certainly won't get my date today!”_ she muttered, then she gave a heavy sigh, shaking her head as she wished she wasn't so damned shy, then she turned her attention back to patient records and tried to put thoughts of Victor out of her mind. She had work to do, and in a few hours, when school ended, her adopted daughter April would be stopping by to see her. That thought made River smile. April was such a sensible girl, growing up so fast and turning out so well. She had offered her a job working here, on the reception desk in the school holidays. She was sure April would enjoy it, and they could spend more time together, too. She wondered if April could give her some advice on how to approach her romantic interest, and then she laughed: At that moment River felt sure she had to be the most clueless person in the whole city when it came to romantic situations. At this rate, perhaps she would _never_ get a date, ever...

 

Molly and Oswald had returned home to an empty house. April and Cain were at school, Baby Fish was at work, Victor was out on business errands, and as they entered the mansion, Molly let Oswald go in first, then she gave his ass a gentle squeeze and he laughed as she closed the front door behind them.

”I couldn't resist that! My sexy war hero! Oh my god, seeing those images on that wall in praise of you, I just wanted to drag you off down an alleyway and have my wicked way with you!”

There was a sparkle in Oswald's eyes as he unbuttoned his jacket, then his shirt, letting it hang loose as he pushed the fabric apart, giving her a glimpse of the scars on his body. While he was doing this, he was carefully limping backwards, towards the front room.

“Oh, you're gonna regret teasing me!” Molly said as her excitement grew and her eyes shone with desire.

“I guess you'll just have to take your scarred, smashed up war hero right here...” he fell back to a soft landing, “On the sofa!”

Molly joined him, and as they rolled together in a gentle embrace, he laughed.

“All yours, Molly... help yourself...I am completely at your mercy!”

And he certainly was.

She was tugging at his belt, pausing to kiss up his chest, then as she tugged at her clothing and kicked off her boots and her jeans and finally her underwear, she lowered down on to his erection with no warning, making Oswald gasp.

“I do love it when you look surprised!” Molly said, “Those pretty eyes of yours go _so_ wide!”

Then she pounced again, kissing him deeply as he ran his hands over her body, then rested them on her hips as they moved together, urgently. Breathless fucking on the sofa had certainly been a pleasant surprise on arriving home, but he had known Molly had something in mind when she had exchanged a glance with him back at the riverside when she had seen that mural on the wall. She was grinding against him with every thrust, looking down at his scars and then into his eyes as she rode him hard and fast and as she peaked, he lost control too and they came together, gasping and breathless and sweating as she collapsed into his arms, sliding free of him as they separated and lay together, on the sofa, sharing an exhausted kiss as they recovered their breath.

“Well, that was better than coming home and just putting the kettle on!” she remarked.

Oswald laughed as he sat up and ran his fingers through his spiked hair, then he pulled up his pants and buckled his belt.

“It certainly was, my love!”

Molly looked into his eyes, for a moment no words needed to be spoken as a look of deepest love passed between them. Then she kissed him, got up and grabbed her clothing.

“I'll get cleaned up and get dressed,” she told him, “Then we are definitely having a cup of tea!”

 

As she left the room, Oswald was smiling as he finished tidying his clothing. He still couldn't stop thinking how lucky he had been – just five years before, he had been living a lonely life by himself in this big mansion, and now he had Molly, their son Cain, and he had found River, his long lost daughter by Fish Mooney, who still lived with them, along with her adopted daughter April. _He had a family._ For a brief moment he blinked away tears, shaking his head as he wished he would stop getting so emotional about these things. But he had just paused to reflect on how lucky he was, not everyone had a family, or the love around them they deserved. He felt truly blessed...

Oswald settled back comfortably on the sofa, stretching out his aching leg. He glanced down at his suit and saw no trace of stains – which was a relief, his passion for Molly had caused more than a few embarrassing stains on his suits over the years. When ever that happened, it was a case of bagging up the offending suit and handing it to Victor and saying, _“Take this away to be dry cleaned please...”_ he smiled at the memory.

Then his phone rang. He gave a sigh and reached for his discarded jacket, it was still on the floor where he had cast it off during his passionate lovemaking with Molly. As the phone rang again he looked at the number. He didn't recognise it...

“Yes?” he said, answering the call quickly.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Are you Oswald Cobblepot?”

“I most certainly am. And this had better be business related... Few have my personal number. Who is this?”

There was a pause. In the background, Oswald heard a sound like the rush of sea to shore. Then gulls cried up in the skies far off. _Who the hell would be calling him from a coastal location?_

“My name is Tina Frances,” she said, “You need to write down everything I'm about to tell you, Oswald. It's urgent.”

Oswald had been in many situations in his life and this one just ranked as a possible prank call. But maybe not, perhaps as there was more... He reached for his jacket again, took out a notepad and pen and set the pad on the sofa as he listened to the caller.

“I am ready, Ms Frances. Firstly, I need to know what this about!”

“You are Oswald Cobblepot, gang boss in Gotham City, your street name is Penguin?”

“That is correct...”

She paused again before speaking.

“I'm a private investigator. I was hired by a client, a lady who suffered a traumatic ordeal several years back. She said she was attacked by a psychotic young man who tried to rape her. She fought him off – in fact, she said there were other, terrible unrelated things that also happened that night, in that house.. but she had contacted me to trace her attacker. She wanted to confront him to ask him why he did it.”

Oswald was confused by her story.

“I can assure you, Ms Frances, I may be a significant figure in Gotham underworld, but I most certainly do _not_ employ anyone who would be so vile as to attempt rape! I think you're confusing me with some other less respectable underworld employer in this city. I can certainly give you some names of those who are less discerning about who they employ, but believe me, _none_ of my men would behave in such a way. _I'd have them killed for it_.”

“No,” she said, and in the distance, waves crashed, “You don't understand. Please hear me out and then everything will be clear. The young man my client was seeking suffered a family bereavement a few years back and had a breakdown. He was put into an asylum for three months and while he was there, he was exposed to an experimental substance to cause psychotic behaviour, and then given what they thought was the cure for it. They tested it on him! They released him, but the cure had not worked. He turned psychotic. He was violent on several occasions, and later he attacked my client. He was under the influence of the effect of an illegal experiment at the time of the attack. Later his family responded to this by sending him back to the asylum. His father abandoned him and left him there. He's not the only one they've used for their experiments. All the others have died. And he's next, Mr Cobblepot! They've cut him open multiple times to take brain tissue, to inject him with the infection and then try and treat it with a cure. This time they've succeeded. They've wiped out the poison but the stuff they used to destroy it is harming already damaged brain tissue. They want to dissect him, once they know how the latest batch of the cure works, they can move their plans onward!”

Oswald's eyes widened in alarm. _These were the kind of infernal plans he would have expected to hear about in the city years back, but now?_

“Ms Frances, you should take this evidence to the authorities. I don't know why you think a gang boss – no matter how powerful – can help you with this matter. And I shall also add at this point in our conversation, while I am appalled at the thought of such torture happening in an institution, I have _no_ sympathy for a psychotic rapist!”

Molly had just set the tea on the table.

“What's this about?” she asked as she looked at him with a concerned expression.

Oswald muted the phone briefly, “I don't know, I'm trying to find out,” he replied, and as Molly sat beside him, he spoke again.

“You should take this to the authorities. I can't help you.”

“He was not a violent psychopath by choice, he was infected and had _no_ control over his actions!” Frances insisted, “Until that first exposure to the experiment, he was a reasonably normal young man. I'm not denying he had problems, he was from a wealthy family but very much neglected by his father. He's had depression, anxiety, he rebelled as a teenager and turned to drugs for a while. He made a suicide attempt after his mother died. But he wasn't a monster. I am sure about this, I've read his file! But he was vulnerable when he first came here and that's why they used him. There's been years of work put into this project, ever since a sample was stolen from a laboratory in Gotham before the city war. _They're developing a mutated strain of the Tetch virus and the vaccine to cure it is held by the same company working on the virus development! Do I have your attention now?_ ”

Molly saw a flicker of alarm in Oswald's eyes.

“You most certainly do. Please continue.”

“The reason I'm contacting you is because the patient I'm referring to is a relative of yours. I asked him if there was anyone who could help him, anyone who might care enough to try and get him out of this place. _He said, his Uncle Oz._ ”

Oswald felt a sharp jolt on hearing those words. She was still speaking:

“I did some searching and I found out he doesn't have an uncle Oz – but he does have an older cousin called Oswald. Is this making sense to you, Mr Cobblepot? Because I have to get out of here. If they find out what I've uncovered, they'll kill me!”

She paused, waiting for his answer as he sat there with the phone in his hand, for a moment he was too stunned to speak.

“Are you still there?” she said, as somewhere distant, more waves crashed.

“Yes, I'm here, Ms Frances. You are correct I have a younger cousin - Julian Lambrick...”

“And it was his father Shepard who put him in this asylum. He also funds the research on the virus and his company owns the vaccine business that would distribute the antidote in the event of an outbreak. Do you see what is happening here?”

Oswald drew in a sharp breath as his face paled and he thought of that little boy he had known so many years ago.

“Okay... firstly, I need to know everything about _you_. I need to check out your background to be certain you're who you say you are. I also need the details of the client who hired you. Tell me everything.”

“Write this down,” she said, “I'm a private investigator, before that I was an army medic. My background in nursing got me this job here, uncover. I had to find out what was going on in this place because my client had heard rumours and she wasn't going to visit unless it was safe to do so. There's been rumours about this asylum for decades!”

As she carried on talking, Oswald began to make notes. Just then Victor walked in. He stopped, standing there in the middle of the room, feeling a change in the atmosphere as Penguin looked pale and tense and wrote on a note pad, as Molly looked on with a concerned expression.

“Thank you,” Oswald said, then he tore off the paper and handed it to Victor.

“I need you to check this out now, right now!”

He glanced at the paper.

“You want me to go online and check her details?”

“Yes Victor, _NOW!_ ” Oswald's eyes were blazing like blue fire.

“Right, boss,” Victor said, and left the room.

“Tell me where you are,” Oswald added, “Which asylum?”

“ _Ashecliffe Hospital, it's on Shutter Island.”_

Oswald briefly closed his eyes, taking in a sharp breath:

_He had heard about that place, it had once been a humane and progressive institution. But over the past three decades, the rumours had got ugly. Clearly they were not rumours. And his cousin was trapped in there. What the fuck had they done to him?_

“Oh no,” he said blinking away tears as he shook his head, “Listen, Ms Frances...I need your help. I can get him out of there, I can send a chopper over tonight.”

Just then Victor came back into the room.

“Her story checks out,” he confirmed, “She's a PI based outside of Gotham, she's ex army too.”

Oswald's heart ached as he blinked away tears. He had wanted this to be a lie, all of it... As he paused, he drew in a breath and composed his emotions as anger flickered in his gaze.

“Victor, we need a chopper – tonight...” he turned his attention back to the phone, “Can you get him up to the roof?”

“He's on the top floor of C Block,” she replied, “I can do that... the guards are posted outside at night, on the ground level but they have guns...”

As he finalised plans, Molly sat there staring at her husband... _This sounded dangerous. He wasn't going alone, she wouldn't let him do that..._

“One last thing,” Oswald added, “When you hang up, erase this number from your call records in case your phone falls into the wrong hands. We'll get you both out – tonight. What is Julian's current condition, can he walk, will he need much help?”

“He will have to be carried,” she replied, “He's weak, I can't assess the level of brain damage but I do know what ever is killing him, killed off the virus. He stopped talking a few days ago. I don't know if it's pain or shock or if he's deteriorating.”

“ _Why did you wait so long to call?”_ Oswald demanded angrily.

“Because I had to gather the evidence without raising suspicion. I was planning to get out of here at the end of next week when I had scheduled leave, just go and never come back. But if you can get me out tomorrow, it's better for me – and he can't hold on much longer in this place.”

“I'm doing this for Julian,” Oswald said darkly, suddenly feeling intense dislike for the PI who had delayed raising the alarm to gather her evidence, “The chopper will be on the roof tonight. I'll be sending my very best man, his name is Victor Zsasz. And if you want out tonight, you''ll do me one small favour – destroy all records you can find that Julian Lambrick was ever at Ashecliffe. I'm getting him out, and I'm walking away. You can have the glory and hand the rest of the proof the the authorities. He's very weak, he won't be able to give evidence. He's family. I'm shielding him. There will be serious fallout from this situation.”

“I could get into the main system. And I can destroy the paper files too.”

“Then I strongly suggest you do that if you want a ride home. Once he's gone, they'll start looking to the staff who tended to him. Do you see my point, Ms Frances?”

There was a pause. The waves were still crashing to shore in the background as she spoke again.

“Yes, Mr Cobblepot, that makes sense. But I don't want my name associated with something that has the potential to put my life at risk.”

“So we get you out and then you send your evidence anonymously to the FBI,” he replied, “Now I have arrangements to make. Be sure to wipe this number from your phone and destroy all trace of links to _me_ when you end this call.”

“I'll do that,” she promised.

Then he ended the call and to Molly's alarm, she saw his hand was shaking as he raised it to wipe a tear from his face.

“My baby cousin has been tortured in Ashecliffe... he's twice been infected with a new strain of the Tetch virus. He's cured now but it sounds like the cure is killing him... And his own father is funding the project!”

Molly looked at Oswald and spoke cautiously. He was upset, and she had only heard part of the story and didn't want to make this situation any worse.

“I heard you say something about him being a rapist?”

Oswald closed his eyes, wishing he could block out all he had heard. Then he met her gaze and began to explain.

“It's not quite as it seems – it was _not_ by his own choosing,” tears were shining in his eyes, “He became psychotic around the first time they did the experiment. He attacked a young woman and tried to rape her. He was under the influence of the mutated Tetch virus. He's clean of it now. He would have had absolutely no control over his actions when he did those terrible things...” Oswald paused to blink away tears, “I should have got in touch years ago, I knew the father was a sadistic, ruthless man... I just didn't know this would happen... he was so arrogant to think their research could be tested on his son and he would walk out of there cured? Then it didn't work so he dumped him back there and left him to die? How can a father do that? His son didn't turn out to be perfect so he had his mind poisoned? Oh Molly, I love my own son so much I just _don't_ understand how a father can be so cruel! I should have stepped in long ago. I could have made a difference!”

“But it's not your fault,” Molly reminded him as she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze, “Oswald, you can't control other people's lives. You had the underworld to run, a war to fight! Your life was here in Gotham, you had to be here!”

He nodded, feeling thankful for her words that had eased a painful sense of guilt. Then he leaned on the sofa and got up, stiffly taking the weight on his damaged leg. Now his gaze hardened as he gave an order:

“ _Victor, get that chopper organised. We're taking a night flight to Shutter Island._ ”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

Dusk had fallen. As Victor loaded extra weapons into the trunk of the car, River stood by the open door of the mansion, instructing April.

“It sounds like this guy is in a bad way. So I need to go over to my surgery and wait there, Victor is flying in to pick him up, my Dad has two back up choppers out there too – armed helicopters in case it gets messy. Molly and Dad will be waiting on the shore five miles from the island. The chopper will touch down, Victor transfers Julian to the car and then they drive back to the city. We could be gone for several hours. All you have to do is stay here and take care of Cain.”

April nodded.

“Are you sure you don't need my help with anything else?”

River smiled. April had grown much taller since the dark days when she had first met her as a ten year old child in that run down house out in the woods. She was fifteen years old now and sensible for her age, she wanted to learn more about medicine and River had promised she could help out in emergencies if she needed assistance, but until she finished school and moved on with her education, at her young age, she would prefer her to work at her practise answering the phone in her spare time – because she had much to learn and she wasn't ready to take on such responsibility yet, as much as she wanted to.

“If there was an emergency, if I had several patients to handle at once, if there a crisis – yes, I'd need your help. But this situation is under control,” she promised her, “Just take care of Cain for us. He should be in bed when it gets dark, he'll sleep right through, if he asks for his parents, just say they went out to watch a movie with Victor.”

April tilted her head as the last glow of sunset caught on her fair hair.

“And what if he asks for his big sis?”

River adjusted her monocle.

“Tell him I had a date tonight.”

Her adopted daughter laughed.

“Well I guess a five year old would believe that!”

“Hey, don't make fun of me,” River said as she felt her face flush and then she laughed, “Or maybe you should. It's not as if I'd ever stand a chance with the man of my dreams! He just doesn't see me that way.”

April leaned in closer and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“ _I think it's Victor.”_

As her adopted mother's face flushed, April giggled.

“I knew it!”

“Just don't say anything!”

“But why?” she asked, “How is he supposed to know if you don't ever tell him?”

River glanced over at Victor, who was standing next to the car talking to Oswald, who paused to check his weapon. A flicker of worry reflected in her gaze.

“They've got some big guns backing them up tonight. I do hope everyone will be safe.”

“River,” said April, “I've learned enough since joining this family to come to understand that your Dad is Penguin and sometimes shit happens and the guns come out. It's just how life is here, it's part of his life. And Victor has worked for your Dad for years. He knows what he's doing.”

Just then Molly came out of the house carrying a blanket.

“River, I'll see you later on. April, just stay here and take care of Cain.”

April nodded, then Molly went over to the car.

“I brought a blanket for Julian,” she said, and opened up the door and tossed the blanket on to the back seat, then as Victor turned towards the car door, he felt a sharp tug on his right side.

“Not again...”

He glanced down and saw one of his holstered guns had gone missing. It was in Molly's hand.

“We don't know if we might get trouble too!”

“I'm armed,” Oswald reminded her.

“And I need to be armed too! If you end up in the shite I'm in it up to my neck too - alongside you!”

“Victor is the one who is taking the biggest risk tonight,” Oswald reminded her.

An old spark had started to shine in her eyes – it was a hint of something he had not seen since day she had literally kicked Jeremiah's ass into an open grave.

“This is a simple enough rescue mission,” Victor added.

Molly glared at him. He took a step back.

“Okay, I'll get myself another gun, Molly.”

As Victor retrieved another gun from the trunk, Oswald smiled as he shook his head.

“You never stop reminding me how hard you would fight for me, Molly. And I never stop appreciating it.”

Molly checked her weapon and tucked it away out of sight beneath her jacket.

“Let's hope neither of us will need to use our guns. We're miles from the island tonight.”

Victor got into the front of the car, taking the wheel. Oswald sat beside him as Molly got in the back, then she glanced over at the house. April had gone back inside and closed the door and River was heading over to her car.

“Did you double check the layout of the asylum?” Oswald asked as Victor started the engine.

“There are cliffs, rocks below... a fair bit of forest around the place, there's a road that leads around the middle of the island, and one that runs straight from the dock to the asylum. There are several guard posts around the new block. The older building has fencing around it and a brick wall at the front where the main gates open up. The roads look like they've been resurfaced in recent years. There's a helipad on the rooftop of C block. No sign of any choppers on the ground. Our only risk will be guards firing from ground level – unless we have company on the roof.”

As they drove away from the house, Oswald shot him a look of surprise.

“That's a very detailed description of the island, Victor! How did you get all that information in such a short space of time?”

Victor smirked.

“Google maps.”

 

River had reached her destination already, she had parked the car and gone in the back way, unlocking the door to her private clinic and turning on the lights. She gave a shiver as she took off her jacket, the evening had definitely brought with it a chill to the air, so she turned the heating on, then she went through to her office, left her jacket on her chair behind her desk, and then she paused for thought, recalling all she had been told about her patient: He was weak, he needed fluids, he had recently had surgery and was suffering from the after effects of what ever horrible experimentation had been done to him... she wasn't even certain she could keep him alive – this wasn't a gun shot wound or a stabbing, this was something unknown she had never encountered before...

She leaned against her desk and paused for thought.

“I need advice...” she murmured, then she drew her phone from her pocket and called Hugo Strange.

As she explained the situation, Strange listened, then he gave his reply, and what he said surprised her.

“Ashecliffe? I have heard rumours about that place. They approached me five years back and asked if I was interested in working on a project based there. Of course, I refused – while my experiments have been blamed on the creation of monsters in Gotham, I have yet to see a _monster_ of mine that was not formerly a very damaged human being with no prospect of recovery until I stepped in. I am not in the business of destroying life, River. I have nothing but condemnation for what goes on at Ashecliffe.”

“What do you think, based on what I told you? Do you think I'm handling this the right way?”

“Yes,” Strange replied, “Have everything set up in the treatment room – check him over, get the scans done and get some fluids into him. And it might be a good idea to send me a copy of those scan results.”

“Do you think I can fix him?” she asked, cutting to the chase as she asked the biggest question that nagged at the back of her mind.

“Based on what I've heard, if the brain tissue has been damaged and then treated with with what I'll call Tetch Two and then that's been killed off by another substance... it's unlikely you can reverse the damage. If it's deep – and the scan will show that – it's likely the substance that killed Tetch Two will also, eventually, kill the patient. Which on the only positive note in this awful mess, means they haven't yet found an effective antidote - and if their ultimate aim is to create a virus and then sell the antidote, they need to do more work on it - so it's not too late to stop them. But if the damage goes deep, I'm afraid you won't be able to save him. He can recover from the recent surgery but it won't buy him much time at all if the antidote is too destructive.”

River gave a heavy sigh.

“I can tell my Dad cares a lot about his cousin. I just want to help!”

“And that is what we do, River – we try and help. Sometimes it's enough, sometimes, it's not.”

She got a sudden idea.

“Can't I clean the substance from the brain tissue?”

“You would kill the patient in the process. That could only be done after death.”

“But you could bring him back? Repair the damage and brig him back, that's it, that's the answer -”

“River, it is _not_ the answer,” Hugo replied, “If the brain tissue has been affected by the virus and an antidote, on top of all the surgical damage caused by procedures during the years of experimentation, nothing will be perfect. If this case is as bad as it sounds, I would _not_ want to revive a patient who may have no quality of life left. He's already been used for experiments. There is only so much either of us can do to reverse that. But we won't know anything until I see those scan results.”

“I really don't want to fail my family,” River told him, “Hugo, this guy is my Dad's cousin. If he dies, my Dad will be so upset.”

“And that will not be your fault,” Hugo reminded her, “If it comes to that, blame those sadistic bastards at Ashecliffe! I have every confidence that you will handle this professionally and make the right decisions without letting personal feelings get in the way of doing your job.”

“I hope you're right,” River replied, “I'll send you those scans later. If it's bad, I do need your opinion because I've never handled something like this before.”

“And I'm happy to help if you need me,” he reminded her.

She thanked him and ended the call, then she glanced at the clock and wondered how long she would have to wait to hear if the rescue mission had been a success.

 

All trace of bad weather was absent as the choppers headed in towards the island. As the two armed helicopters swooped in first, as he opened up the door and was hit by a blast of cold salt air as below, the sea by moonlight rushed past below, then rocks and wilderness, Victor Zsasz was ready, eyes set on the helipad on the nearing roof of C Block. As the choppers either side swooped and began to pepper the ground with shots as guards fired upwards then bullets hit concrete and punched holes and sent debris flying, they scattered for cover and more gunfire was exchanged.

The chopper set down on the landing pad just as a doorway opened and light flooded out from the stairway. Victor ducked and jumped down from the chopper, then drew a gun and fired back at a guard on the ground, the second shot hit its target then he ran to meet the two people who had staggered out from the stairway. Frances was still in her uniform and her long fair hair blew back as the blades from the chopper turned, ready for a rapid getaway. She was clutching a folder under her arm as she dragged a man who could barely stand, his head kept slipping to her shoulder as he clung to her and staggered as she dragged him towards Victor.

“ _Let me board first!”_ she yelled above the noise of the chopper, _“I wiped his records from the system but they started to put the place on lock down, they know it was me!”_

As Julian's legs buckled, to Victor's horror, she stepped back, dragging him with her as shouts were heard from the stairway.

“ _Let me go first!”_

“Give me Julian – _and_ those files!”

Victor holstered his gun as she glared at him.

“ _Get out of my way!”_ she yelled, edging back further towards the approaching sound of the armed guards as a ruthless gleam came to her eyes, _“And you're not having these files, they're worth too much money – to your side or theirs, I don't care which!”_

The guards were almost at the top. As shots rang out from below and fire was returned from above, Victor gave her a shove and the folder slipped to the ground, as papers began to drift about the rooftop on a strengthening sea breeze.

“ _No!”_ Frances yelled.

Victor leaned in, dragging Julian from her grip and he fell heavily against him as Victor dragged him over to the chopper and pushed him inside. As he boarded, more shots rang out as the rooftop was flooded with guards. Bullets smacked into the side of the chopper and as Frances ran over, they began firing again. A bullet punched through the back of her skull and she slumped forward, half in the chopper as two more bullets hit her back and her eyes stayed open, as blood ran from her mouth. She was dead, and they were still firing as Victor ducked. He looked back at the pilot, realising the blades were turning but they had not lifted. The pilot looked back at him in terror, he had frozen as the shots had been fired and more shots were coming at them as Victor fired back, then he swung the gun around, shoving it in the pilot's face.

“ _GET THIS FUCKING BIRD IN THE AIR!”_ he yelled.

The pilot turned back to the controls and as the blades turned harder, the chopper began to slowly rise. The guards were still firing, and as bullets hit the inside of the chopper, Victor grabbed the PI's corpse and held it upright, as the last of the shots were fired and the bullets hit the body and the chopper rose, he let the corpse fall back to the ground. Up above, the other two helicopters were opening fire once more.

Victor grabbed the door and slammed it shut as they rose into the air, then the chopper turned and headed away from Shutter Island. As the sound of the engine thundered about the chopper, Victor was still kneeling by the door as he felt someone grab his jacket and cling on. He turned around to see Julian, who had crawled up from the floor, he looked like death but he was laughing on the verge of hysteria as he grabbed at Victor's jacket again, clinging on tightly as he managed to pull himself up, eye level with him as he struggled to focus and laughed again.

“ _Uncle Oz got me out! Where is he... Uncle Oz?”_ he called, looking about the small space and the dizzying view of the sky rushing past as they headed for dry land.

“He's not here, he's waiting on the ground,” Victor told him, “You should lie down, Julian...”

He swayed as he clutched at Victor's jacket.

“I'm okay, I can walk!” then his grip slipped as weakness took over and Victor caught him quickly, laying him on his side on the floor of the chopper.

“No, you can't,” he said firmly, “Lie still.”

Julian was on his side, the recent scar on the side of his head exposed and looking painful, but he still managed to laugh again.

“ _Uncle Oz got me out!”_ he yelled again, then he gave an exhausted sigh and lay still on the floor, breathing hard and struggling to focus as the chopper headed inland. And he was still laughing, too... Victor looked at him, wondering if he was just glad to be free, or if Oswald had just orchestrated a jailbreak for an absolute lunatic...

 

As the two armed choppers flew overhead and then thundered onward, heading closer to the city, Molly and Oswald watched from the parked car as the third helicopter touched down in a field close to the roadside. The door opened up and as Victor emerged carrying Julian, Oswald got out of the car, breathing a relieved sigh.

“Thank god!” he said.

As Molly got out and joined him, Victor reached them and Molly opened the car door and Victor leaned in, placing Julian in a sitting position .

“Try and stay upright,” he told him, and as he rested against the seat and closed his eyes, Julian breathed hard, then his eyes snapped open as he made another grab at Victor's jacket.

“Where is he... where's my Uncle Oz?” he demanded as panic crept into his voice.

“Let go of me,” said Victor, tugging free from his grip.

The front passenger door closed and Oswald reached back to him.

“I'm right here, Julian...” he grasped his hand reassuringly, then as Molly got in the back and Zsasz took the wheel and started the engine, he got a good look at his baby cousin and shock registered on his face: Julian was pale and had shadows under his eyes. His gaze was barely focussed and he looked caught somewhere between fear and hysteria as he clung to his hand. He saw the fresh scar on the side of his head, then as his hand slipped from his grip and Molly propped him up and put a blanket over his lower body, Julian rested against the seat, utterly exhausted. Oswald turned back to face front as they drove away.

“ _Oh my god...”_ he said as he blinked away tears, _“What the fuck did they do to him?”_

“We came up against a lot of gunfire,” Victor replied, focusing on the road and any subject but the state of Oswald's cousin, “Frances didn't make it. They killed her. It was her fault, too. It seems she decided at the last minute that all she wanted was a quick exit from the island because her information was worth a lot of money. I lost her and the file. Sorry, boss.”

“What about her phone?”

“No Penguin, due to the fact that it was raining bullets, I _didn't_ have time to stop and grab anything except your cousin!”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“Did she clean his records from their system?”

“Yes, that's why we came under fire. That and the choppers getting spotted from the ground... Penguin, are you okay?”

Oswald had looked away, blinking back tears as he lowered his voice.

“ _He looks terrible! I keep thinking, years back when I was in Arkham... it could have been me, Victor. All it would have taken was a transfer to Ashecliffe...”_

“But that didn't happen,” Victor reminded him.

 

As they drove on and took the main highway back towards the city, Oswald was still tearful. He was thinking back to a very dark time, a time Molly and Baby Fish knew nothing about: _Hugo Strange had put him through torture in Arkham, trying to make him a good person, forcing sanity into his mind..._ The years had passed by and even though he and Strange were now on good terms, nothing erased the memory of that pain, and seeing his cousin in such a mess had brought recollection of his own darkest hours flooding back. It was something he could never discuss with Molly, or with his daughter. River had trained under Strange for two years and thought of him as a colleague and a friend. She would hate Strange if the truth came out, and so would Molly...

In the back of the car, the motion of the vehicle had briefly soothed Julian into a light sleep, then as his head had rested on Molly's shoulder he had woken sharply, sat up and turned his head quickly, staring at her as he wondered who the hell was in the back of the car with him. _This wasn't his Uncle Oz..._

“I'm Molly,” she said, “Oswald's wife. It's okay, Julian. Just rest, we're almost there now.”

Fear and deep mistrust reflected in his eyes.

“Where are you taking me?” he whispered.

Oswald turned around and looked back at him.

“Julian...” he reached back, grasping his hand once more, “Listen to me carefully. We're taking you to see my daughter. Her name is River, she's a doctor -”

“No, no doctors -” he pulled his hand from Oswald's grip, _“No one is cutting me again!”_ he yelled in panic.

Molly placed her hands on his shoulders as he leaned forward, eyes wide with fear as he stared at Oswald, who reached back and grabbed his hand again, and this time held it firmly.

“No one is hurting you,” he said clearly and calmly, “River is my daughter, she's going to help you. There's nothing to be afraid of any more, I swear we are going to take good care of you.”

As Oswald let go of his hand, Molly's grip was still on Julian's shoulders as she eased him back against the seat.

“Stay calm,” she said, “I can see you've been through a lot. I know all about it, we all do – and we want to help. River will give you something for the pain and when you're feeling better, you can come home with us and Uncle Oz will take care of you, do you understand me?”

He was looking at her like a deer caught in headlights as a tear ran down his face and he gave her a small nod.

“Okay, you sit back and rest,” Molly added, and as he slumped back he breathed hard again, exhausted.

Molly was already assessing the situation – clearly, if this man had ever been capable of violence, it had been entirely under the influence of the Tetch virus. He was timid and easily frightened, he was certainly no fighter and by the look in his eyes, he was afraid of everyone and everything after what he had been through at Ashecliffe. She had come across enough people in her life to know a manic when she saw one and Julian was not dangerous – obviously, he had been once, but not now, that was very clear to see. He was weak and certainly no threat – unless she included a possible threat to himself, when Oswald had mentioned River was a doctor, he had looked as if he was ready to open the car door and throw himself out rather than face the possibility of more of the kind of torture he had endured in the asylum. He was breathing easier as he rested against the seat, then he slumped sideways, across Molly's lap as he turned on his side and gave a groan.

“You need to try and sit up,” Molly said, and Julian raised his head.

“No...” he said weakly, then rested his head on the seat, oblivious to the fact that he was lying across her, “I can't move...” he suddenly tensed, then screwed his eyes shut tightly and pressed his face against the seat, _“Sorry...”_

“It's okay,” Molly replied calmly, noticing he had suddenly sounded very distressed, “You just get comfortable. We're almost there now.”

“ _Sorry!”_ he said again.

Oswald glanced back.

“Is he okay, Molly?”

She nodded.

“He just needs to lie down...” her eyes widened as she wondered what the hell she had just felt, warm and wet and spreading over her lap. Then as more spread on to the seat and dripped to the floor, she lowered her voice as she spoke again.

“He's just peed his pants. All over me _and_ your back seat, Victor!”

Oswald looked at her apologetically.

“He can't help it,” he said in a low voice, “I'm sorry about this, Molly.”

“He needs a doctor. We need to drive faster,” she replied, taking the blanket and draping it over him as he laid awkwardly over her lap and mumbled _Sorry_ for a third time.

Just then, as they headed into the city and in the distance, the night sky flickered with an amber glow, Oswald stared at the sight in alarm.

“There's a fire!” Victor exclaimed.

“That's Arkham!” Oswald added.

Then Victor slowed the car to a halt, joining a long tailback of traffic heading into the city.

“Shit, that's all we need!” he complained.

“And cops...” Oswald added, seeing the parked squad cars and watching as officers leaned in and checked each vehicle.

Molly looked towards the road ahead.

“Oh, that's all we need!” she said angrily, “Feckin' cops at a time like this, and we've got a fugitive on the back seat and we're all packing guns and there's more in the trunk! That's just perfect!”

“ _And_ my car stinks of pee!” added Victor.

Oswald looked towards the approaching cop.

“Leave it to me. I don't know this guy but I can probably pay him off.”

“No,” Molly said, “Leave it to me, Oswald. It's okay, I've got this,” as he glanced back at her she winked, “We don't always have to fight our way out of a tight corner,” she reminded him, “I'll talk to him.”

She leaned over Julian and gave him a shake.

“Cops are here!” she said sharply in his ear, “Get on the floor and hide. I'll cover you up. If you make a sound, you're back in Ashecliffe and we _won't_ be able to save you, have you got that?”

Julian nodded, then slid to the floor and as Molly grabbed the blanket, he curled up tightly. She could feel him shaking beside her as she covered him, then threw the rest of the blanket over the seat, where it soaked up urine.

The cop reached their car and Victor slid down the window.

“What's going on?” he asked, and the cop paused, recognising well known underworld faces in the car – the driver was Victor Zsasz, and next to him, was Penguin.

“There's been an explosion at Arkham,” the cop explained, “And a big fire, it's still not under control. We don't know yet how many are dead but there's been a few inmates reported missing and some could have escaped. We're checking all vehicles coming in and out of the city and warning drivers to be alert and to avoid quiet roads and not to pick up any hitch hikers.”

Then the cop sniffed, hit by the stink of urine and shifted back from the open window. Oswald opened his own window, feeling uncomfortable as he looked at the cop and wondered if he thought he or Victor might be responsible for the awful stink in the car.

“We are in a hurry,” Oswald said, “We need to turn off just up ahead so we can reach the heart of the city. I am late for a business meeting. I take it you know who I am?”

“Yes, Mr Penguin, but we have to check all vehicles and you must stay on the main highway.”

Molly could feel Oswald's tension rising like a crackle of static in the air. As the officer looked in the back, Molly slid down the window and smiled brightly.

“Good evening, officer!” she said, “I hope you're going to get us moving soon. And I;m sorry about the smell. _It's me._ You see, we were stuck in this traffic so long and I needed to go...”

The cop had already guessed by her Irish accent this was Molly, Penguin's wife. She was sitting in the middle of the back seat, and her jeans were wet, the seat was wet, even a blanket that had been shoved in the corner was wet, part of it still on the end of the seat, soaking it up. The stink of urine was strong and the cop briefly looked away to take a breath. As he looked back at her, she was still smiling.

“These accidents happen, don't they?” she remarked, “I mean, they say pelvic floor exercises help – do they fuck! There I was, desperate to go and what do you think happened next?”

The cop could only shake his head.

“I bloody sneezed!” Molly exclaimed, “First time was okay, second time was just fine... but bearing in mind I gave birth five years back, three times had to mean disaster. And sure enough, it was like a flood! Like I often say to my Oswald, pregnancy was tough enough but when you've given birth to an eight pound baby after eleven hours of all that pushing...” she paused and the cop winced and shifted back from the odour, “Let's just say I don't have a pelvic floor any more,” Molly added, “It's more like a trap door! And here I am, sitting in my own piss! So, officer, I'd really like to get my husband to his meeting and then go home so I can get cleaned up!”

The cop stepped back, and was glad of the fresh night air as he took in a breath. The traffic had started to slowly move.

“I'll make an exception for you and your wife, Mr Penguin,” he said quickly, then he yelled to the two cops further up the road to let their car turn off the highway.

As they drove on Oswald shook his head as he bit his lip and tried not to laugh.

“ _You sneezed?_ Oh Molly, that was so...” he looked down, trying again not to show any sign of amusement as they passed the next cops and then turned off the highway.

Then as Oswald laughed, so did Victor.

“ _A trap door?”_ Victor exclaimed, and Molly threw her head back and laughed hard.

“Did you see the look on his face?”

Then Julian moved and she reached down, patting his shoulder beneath the blanket.

“Stay down in case we see more cops,” she said softly, “We're almost there now, don't worry.”

Their brief amusement was over as they reached the city and headed for River's clinic.

“Is he doing okay back there?” Oswald asked.

“He's coping,” Molly replied, and as she exchanged a glance with her husband, they said no more. Exactly how serious his condition turned out to be was something they couldn't guess. Only River could make that assessment...

 

When they arrived, they took the car around the back and as they got out, River was waiting for them. As Molly opened the car door and got out, Julian dived for the open door, crawling from the car as Victor and Oswald quickly helped him up, then as his legs gave way, they took him through the back door of the clinic and into River's treatment room.

Molly stood in the doorway looking on as Julian panicked and struggled and had to be forcibly sedated, then River explained that she needed to take some scans and send them over to Hugo before she could make an accurate assessment. Oswald and Victor left the room and Molly followed them to the waiting area where they sat down and Oswald blinked away tears as he looked to his wife.

“He's such a mess, Molly. I fear I may lose him. I spent years thinking only of my empire and this city and -”

“It's not your fault,” she reminded him, then she gave his hand a squeeze, “Oswald, you're the most amazing guy I've ever known. And you can't be everywhere and be everything to everyone at the same time. I know how much you love your family, but this situation was out of your control.”

Oswald sniffed and wiped his eyes, then he straightened up in his seat and regained composure.

“You are, right, of course. You always speak the truth so clearly at the time I need to hear it the most. Thank you, Molly.”

“Do you want me to leave now?” Victor asked.

“No,” Oswald replied, “I want you to stay here tonight with Baby Fish. Make sure there's no trouble. I'm not expecting any – no one knows who attacked the asylum tonight, and Frances assured me she deleted my number – she wiped the data base too, so I'm assuming she followed all my instructions...” he paused as something else came to mind, then he looked sharply from Molly to Victor, “Frances blew her cover and they killed her. They have her phone. If the client who hired her has tried to contact her since she went to Shutter Island, they'll know about it and they won't know how much the PI told her. That means she's most likely next. Frances gave me her details. Victor, I want you to visit her in the morning and explain the situation.”

“ _I'll go.”_

Oswald shot Molly a confused look.

“Victor is capable of contacting her!”

“And this poor woman paid Frances to check out the asylum because she wanted to confront Julian – who attacked her while he was infected with the Tetch virus! Do you really think she would react well to a man knocking on her door and telling her Frances is dead and she's next unless she goes into hiding? No, Oswald, trust me – I can explain everything to her and she will be much more at ease with me, one mention of the Lambrick family will bring everything back to her - and I really think it's better if a woman explains.”

Oswald nodded.

“Again, you make a very valid point, my love,” he replied, “Yes, you should go in the morning and be sure to explain everything and tell Iris that her life is in danger and she is being offered protection. Bring her straight back to the house, she will be safe with us until this matter is resolved. Victor, I want you to accompany my wife. But wait in the car while she speaks to the young lady in private.”

“I'm happy with that,” Molly agreed, “It's the best way, this is going to be a huge shock when she finds out what Frances uncovered. Oswald, what are you going to do about that place? They can't go on torturing patients, and that virus -”

“I will find a solution,” Oswald assured her, “But not tonight. Let's just wait here and hope for some good news.”

“Yes, let's do that,” Molly agreed, then she fell silent as they sat there waiting for River to return.

 

It didn't take River long to finish her assessment and get a response from Hugo Strange. She left Julian to sleep and closed the door quietly, then made her way back to the waiting area. As Molly and her father stood up she paused to gather her thoughts before speaking.

“There's good and bad news...”

“ _I knew it...”_ Victor muttered as he stood on the other side of the room, facing the door and look out through the glass as tried to avoid the look on Penguin's face when the bad news was given.

“Julian is very weak and some of that is because of the recent surgery. They basically cut him open, closed him up and put him back in his cell. I've got him on fluids and he's sleeping heavily and I'm keeping the pain under control. He will recover from the surgery. But...” she hesitated, “I'm sorry, Dad. The antidote they used to kill Tetch Two is still damaging already damaged tissue and in places the scarring is very deep. I spoke to Strange and he confirmed this can't be fixed. Julian will have a few months, I can't say how many exactly. But that's all.”

“Strange can bring him back,” Oswald's voice was hushed and choked with emotion as he looked intently at his daughter, “Tell me he can bring him back.”

“He can do that,” River replied, “But he's got serious doubts about the outcome. The antidote used to kill Tetch Two is destructive, it's nowhere near ready to be marketed as an effective cure should the virus be released. This means on the bigger scale, we have time to stop the research at Shutter Island. But for Julian, it means the toxins can't be cleaned from the brain until after death. That would mean removing the chemical damage from an already damaged brain and even if he could be revived, not all of the surgical damage can be repaired. Strange is very cautious about reviving a patient who may not have a good quality of life afterwards. In most cases he can do it, but in this case, with a patient who has already been experimented on long term, he said he would be very doubtful it could have a successful outcome. I'm sorry, I wish I could give you better news, Dad.”

“Just do your best for him,” Oswald said, “I'm proud of you, Baby Fish. You're a great doctor, I mean that sincerely.”

She saw tears in her father's eyes and it was a struggle to stay professional. But this was family business, and she was the only one who could handle this side of the situation and she wanted to do it as best as she could.

“I'm going to keep him here overnight and in the morning he can be taken back to the house. He will need a lot of rest and a lot of care, but I'm at home half the time so I can do that side of things. You should go home and rest now, it's been a long night.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh as he hugged his daughter, then she walked away, returning to the treatment room. He turned to Victor.

“I want you to spend the night with River, just stay here until morning to be sure we don't get any trouble. I'm not expecting anyone from the island to make a tie to us – but Arkham is on fire and there could be maniacs on the loose.”

Victor nodded, then he went over to the seating area and sat back down in the corner, ready to watch the door for signs of unwanted guests.

Then Oswald turned to Molly and as they stood together, the pain she saw in his eyes made her heart ache.

“I've decided what to do about Ashecliffe,” Oswald said darkly, then as tension rose and anger sparked in his eyes, he spelled out his plan:

“ _They will pay for this!_ I will send my men in by boat to kill everyone who works on that island! And I'll do it at night, while the patients are safely locked in their rooms. I want the research lab burned to the ground. Shepard's carefully thought out plans to unleash a virus and sell the antidote to the desperate will _not_ happen! I will make sure those plans go up in flames!”

“You want to kill _every_ staff member at Ashecliffe?” Victor said, sounding surprised, “What about the ones who don't know what's going on?”

Oswald turned his head sharply as fury blazed like blue fire in his tearful eyes.

“Everyone, Victor. They all knew they were a part of something terrible and no one spoke up, their silence makes them as vile as the scientists who carried out these experiments! _There will be absolutely no mercy!_ ”

“And what about Shepard?” asked Victor.

“Leave him to me!” Oswald said bitterly, “He is my problem.”

“We should go home and get some rest now,” Molly reminded him.

Oswald nodded, saying no more as he paused to step closer, then he rested his head on her shoulder as she embraced him and he wept silent tears.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

River woke up at her desk, she sat up and blinked away sleep, then saw the sun was rising brightly, it had just gone seven am. She got up, took a minute to splash water on her face and then she felt properly awake. She dried her face, snatched her monocle from the desk and put it on, then hurried back to the treatment room.

She had only managed to grab two hours sleep, but her patient had been heavily sedated and she had been very sure it would be okay to leave him for a couple of hours. He had stabilised in the hours since Oswald and Molly had left, and now he was receiving the kind of care he should have been given in Ashecliffe post surgery, he was greatly improved, his pulse was regular, his breathing was just fine and his blood pressure was normal. Feeling relieved, she left the room and went back to the front of the building, where Victor had just got up from his seat, he gave a sigh and put a hand on his back as he stretched out a slight stiffness, then he turned to River and blinked away the last of his tiredness.

“How's Julian?”

“Much better this morning. He's not awake yet but he's stable enough to be moved. Thanks for staying last night.”

Victor smiled and her heart skipped a beat, not that he would know, she guessed, as he spoke again.

“Penguin was right to ask me to stay, especially with the breakout at Arkham. But it was quiet outside. I managed to grab four hours sleep eventually.”

“I managed a couple at my desk,” River told him, then her thoughts turned back to her patient.

“I need to speak with Julian when he wakes. After I've done that, you can take him back to the house.”

Victor nodded.

“I should call the boss.”

River indicated to a doorway just inside the corridor.

“There's a small kitchen area in there. You can make some coffee before you leave. You look like you could use it.”

Victor slipped his phone back in his jacket.

“Thanks, Baby Fish, I'll do that first, then I'll call Penguin,” he said, then he walked away down the corridor, and as he went into the kitchen she was tempted to join him, but Julian would be waking soon, and her patient had to come first. She went back to the treatment room and closed the door softly behind her.

 

At the Van Dahl mansion, morning sunlight had streamed in through the window of the master bedroom, waking Oswald from a deep sleep. For a few precious minutes between sleeping and waking, Oswald felt happy, sliding his hand over the space where Molly was warm beside him. Then he found it empty and opened his eyes, right at the moment the events of the day before came rushing back to him and he felt sadness all over again as he thought of what had been done to his cousin on Shutter Island.

Then he saw Molly standing on the other side of the bedroom, he watched as she zipped up blue jeans that hugged her hips and then she put on a white vest and he gave a sigh as he admired the sight of his wife's body, the curve of her breasts as she fasted a white bra, the toned muscles in her arms that were elegantly visible as she adjusted her clothing. Molly worked out at the gym twice a week. She had tried to persuade him to come with her, but Oswald had said as she loved his ass and his slightly over weight body so much, he would keep it just as it was, thank you very much. But he thought Molly's body was beautiful, his gaze roamed over her as she put on her boots and then paused to go over to the dressing table and brush her jet black hair. It fell to her shoulders in waves of raven silk and he smiled as she looked back at him in the mirror.

“You look so lovely. I'm sorry you got up so early, now I feel lonely in this bed, my love!”

“And I have to fetch Iris, remember?” she said, putting down the brush and reaching for her mascara, “I was thinking, I might give her a call first and tell her I'm a business partner of Frances.”

Oswald sat up in bed.

“Why not tell her the truth right away? This matter could prove to be more urgent than we think,” he paused to run his hands through spiked hair messed up by sleep, “If the fallout from yesterday is over, their next move is taking out Iris.”

“And she won't see me if I tell her that on the phone – she'll go to the cops and that drags all of us into the shit! Let me speak to her first, then I'll go and see her and tell her what's really going on.”

Oswald's gaze clouded with worry.

“At what point do we tell her Julian will also be staying here? That could complicate matters, we don't know exactly how much she hates him, that hatred could run very deep after he attacked her.”

“Oswald,” Molly sat down on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on his cheek as she looked into his eyes, “Stop worrying so much! I will explain everything, first priority – she's not safe where she is right now. Once she understands what the virus did to him, it might help her to see there was another factor at work here – something he couldn't control. When she's decided to come with me, I will tell her about Julian. I'll tell exactly what's happened so she understand he's no threat and if that doesn't work, Victor will have to put her in hotel in the city until you can find her a suitable safe house. Does that set your mind at rest?”

Gratitude shone in his eyes.

“I do not understand why I'm so badly organised today! I should have thought of that first!”

“It's worry,” Molly told him, “Of course you're feeling disorganised. I'm sure you'll have your peace of mind back when Julian comes home.”

He felt a wave of emotion as he thought about that small boy he had lifted in his arms so many years before as he showed him the view of the Gotham river.

“Yes,” he said as his voice trembled, “He is coming home – to family who actually give a shit about him! I know he's coming home to die, River made it very clear he won't last long. But I want his time with us to be happy. And I haven't given up on the possibility of Strange bringing him back when the time comes. I don't believe there's nothing he can do.”

“There's always hope,” Molly reminded him, “I remember the state of you when we saved you from Velaska. Strange said you were critical. My Dad prayed for you, that's how bad it got – my Dad, the big bad Irish godfather, saying a prayer for another crime boss. And you made it!”

“But I was injured, Molly. I wasn't held in Ashecliffe for several years. I wasn't damaged by illegal experiments.”

“There _is_ hope,” Molly repeated, then she leaned closer and their lips touched and her kiss felt like a promise that maybe, there really was still hope after all.

Oswald wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as their kiss grew more passionate. As he pulled back, he smiled and spoke softly.

“You're up far too early, Mrs Cobblepot... Come back to bed, I'm aching for you!”

Then the door burst open and Cain ran in.

“ _Good morning!”_ he announced, and jumped on the bed, bounced and sat down.

Molly pulled away from their embrace as she lowered her voice.

“Later, my love!” she said as they exchanged a loving glance, then Oswald held his arms out to his son who gave him a big hug.

“Good morning, young man!” he said fondly, “You're always up too early!”

“Yes I am!” Cain said joyfully.

Molly laughed softly as she got up.

“We need to remember to lock this door, Oswald!”

“I want to go to the park today!” said Cain.

“Maybe later,” Molly told her son as he scrambled off the bed and stood there looking up at her, “Mummy has to go out this morning. I have to do some important work for Daddy.”

“Can I come with you?”

She leaned closer, smiling as she looked at the face of her son, a face that so resembled Oswald. He had the same eyes, too – but Cain's eyes were full of innocence. He thought Daddy owned a bar and lots of warehouses. He wouldn't know the rest until he was older...

“No, sweetheart,” she said as she fondly placed her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, “You can't come with Mummy, not today. But we might go to the park tomorrow...” she exchanged a glance with Oswald, “Shall I tell him about Julian?” she said quietly, and Oswald nodded.

“Daddy's cousin is coming to stay with us,” she said, “His name is Julian. But he's not very well so you need to be quiet and leave him to rest, okay?”

Cain nodded, then he looked to his father.

“Daddy, can you take me to the park today? Look, I got dressed myself, I tied my shoelaces too!”

“I can see you did a great job of it!” Oswald replied, “But Daddy was working very late last night, I'm sorry but my bad leg is hurting a lot today.”

Molly shot him a glance.

“You didn't tell me that! Are you okay?”

“I'll be fine, my dear - I just need to stay home and rest,” he replied, then he glanced to his son, “We will both take you to the park tomorrow, Cain. I'm getting up now and then I'll make breakfast for you -”

“No, I'll do it!” Molly insisted, “You stay there, rest your leg, I know how bad it can get. I'll make breakfast for Cain and then I'll bring you some tea.”

She leaned in and kissed him, then she left the room with their son and Oswald laid back against soft pillows that carried the scent of his wife's hair as he smiled. Despite the worries that rested at the back of his mind, and the dull ache that nagged at his damaged leg, life was good – and it always would be, because he had his family, it made such a difference, even on the darkest of days... Then his phone rang. It was Victor. He answered it right away.

“How is Julian?”

“He's a lot stronger,” Victor replied, “River's with him now. She said as soon as she's finished, he can come back to the house.”

“How long until he can leave?” asked Oswald.

“I don't know, she's still with him. I'm drinking coffee and waiting for her.”

“Just bring him home as soon as you can. Then I want you to leave with Molly and head over to Iris. That young woman needs to be protected, she doesn't realise what she's got herself caught up in.”

“Okay boss,” Victor replied and then he ended the call. Oswald put the phone down and breathed a relieved sigh. Julian's condition had improved overnight. That fact alone gave him renewed hope for the future. Maybe Molly was right, perhaps there was hope...

 

As Julian woke from a deep sleep, he realised that strangely, he wasn't in pain – for the first time in a long while. And for the first time in days, he was in a dry bed, too. He heard someone speaking and memories flickered from the night before : _Had that been real? Uncle Oz had got him out of that place? It was all flooding back now. The chopper, the car, then being held down while a young woman wearing a monocle stabbed his arm with a needle..._

She was still speaking, and as he listened and realised he was still too weak to move he felt a flicker of panic, as one thought ran through his mind: _What the hell will she do to me next?_

“You should be awake soon, Julian,” she said, “And then you can go home to Uncle Oz. He's been so worried about you.”

It was then he realised she was pulling up his underwear and he gave a gasp and opened his eyes, just as she folded a warm blanket back up to his waist.

“ _What the fuck are you doing to me?”_ he whispered as he looked at her with pale eyes reflecting fear and deep mistrust.

“Oh, hello! You're awake!” she said, “How are you feeling? I've given you fluids and pain relief. Is it working for you okay?”

Julian stared at her. This was definitely the same woman who had sedated him the night before. Her hair was short and spiked and her dark olive complexion made her bright blue eyes look striking. There was a small clouded patch in one of her eyes and it was more noticeable because she was wearing a monocle.

“I am River Mooney,” she said, “I'm Oswald's daughter. You're safe, Julian. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm a good doctor, I help people. I think what was done to you at Ashecliffe was truly evil, and I'm going to do everything I can to give you a better quality of life, do you understand me?”

He nodded, feeling his fears slip away as he blinked away tears out of sheer relief : _He was definitely safe. And she was certainly the daughter of his Uncle Oz – she looked a lot like him, she even spoke like him..._

River grabbed a chair and pulled it up to his bedside and sat down, then she adjusted the bed, forcing him to sit up a little as she spoke again.

“I need to talk to you before you leave, is that okay?”

“Okay...” he said quietly, then he felt a sting in the back of his hand and looked down to see the source of the irritation, there was a needle buried in a vein, he was still hooked up to an IV.

“I will need to keep you on the IV for a couple more days, you need to get your strength back,” she told him, “And I think you should drink some water, you need it.”

She raised a glass to his lips and placed her hand carefully on the back of his head, keeping him steady as he drank. As she took the glass away and gently rested his head against the pillow, he felt more at ease.

“I realise you woke at a rather awkward moment,” she added, “I had to clean you up and change you. I washed your underwear and dried it on the heater so you could put it back on - and for now I think you can manage with pads as long as they get changed frequently. How long have you had the incontinence?”

“Since they did the last one,” he raised his hand, indicating to the scar on the side of his head.

“And they didn't help you to handle it?”

“No,” he said, looking away as tears of anger stung at his eyes.

“That must have been horrible for you,” River replied kindly, “But you don't have to worry about that any more. I think it might improve as you get stronger. Do you have any numbness or paralysis?”

“No,” his voice was still hushed.

“That's good,” River replied, “I think you'll be feeling a lot better very soon. You just need to get your strength back. Do you get headaches?”

“All the time.”

“Dizzy spells?”

“Sometimes.”

“Do you have any trouble with your feelings or your moods?”

He blinked away tears and met her gaze as anger burned in his eyes.

“ _I was tortured for five fucking years!”_ he gave a sob.

“Okay, I get it...” she said softly, “I know you've suffered,” and she carefully took hold of his hand as she spoke again.

“I'm trying to assess the impact the surgeries have had on you. Your scan results show some significant damage to brain tissue. They tested a mutation of the Tetch virus on you – twice. The first time was when you were first committed, the second time was when your father sent you back to Ashecliffe and left you there. Can you recall this?”

“I remember it all!”

“Do you know why your father put you in Ashecliffe and abandoned you?”

He struggled to compose his thoughts as tears blurred his vision.

“My dad... he was sick, he liked to play sick games with people... their lives for money... blood money. He made me watch and _it_ was inside me, _it_ loved to see that and _it_ made me try to rape her! My Dad said I was an embarrassment and he put me back in Ashecliffe!”

He gave a sob.

“When you say _it_ , do you mean the Tetch virus?”

He nodded and wept some more as she wiped away his years and told him to take a deep breath and calm down.

“We all know about the Tetch virus,” River added, “And if your Dad thinks his own son being deliberately infected with Tech two and attacking a woman is merely embarrassing, I think for that reason alone, _he's_ the one who should be in Ashecliffe, not you!”

Julian looked intently at River.

“I'm _not_ dangerous!”

“I believe you.”

“ _I'm not, River...I can prove it...I can't even hold my own pee, it doesn't work any more, look, I can't get hard! Nothing works any more, my body is fucked!”_

He made a move to tug down the blanket and his underwear to prove his point, and she caught his hand, raising it as she gripped it and spoke to him firmly as she pulled up the covers once more.

“Okay, I believe you! Calm down, Julian. You are far too weak to get so worked up!”

He felt weak and confused as he looked at River.

“Did I just do the wrong thing?”

River gave a heavy sigh.

“You're just very upset and I think you get easily worked up and confused. Possibly you may also do and say things at inappropriate times – and also your speech is slightly lazy and your coordination isn't great, it's all signs of brain damage but we can handle this, it's not a total disaster, you can get a lot better, and you will.”

“ _That's bullshit! They said in Ashecliffe that I'm going to die... they said the antidote was too strong. How long do I have left?”_

River felt a sharp jolt. _He had heard them say that?_ He was far too weak and vulnerable to cope with that diagnosis. He was shaking as his eyes filled with tears again.

“Perhaps a great deal longer than you think,” River replied, “I trained under a very brilliant doctor and I believe I can help you, Julian. I will not give up and I think you will make a good recovery, at least initially - and we can take everything else one day at a time. You have nothing to fear.”

“ _I want my Uncle Oz.”_

He sounded so afraid. River gave him a reassuring smile.

“And he's looking forward to you coming home!” she said kindly.

Julian struggled, pushed away her hand as she tried to help and managed to sit up, then he tugged the needle from the back of his hand and tossed it aside as fluid leaked from its hollow tip and hit the floor.

“ _I want to get out of here, River!”_

Then weakness took over once more and he slumped forward. She caught him and he clung to her, weeping on her shoulder. River rocked him in her arms as she did her best to stop his tears.

“It's okay,” she said gently, “Shh, it's all okay now, you're going home to Uncle Oz...”

 

Molly had given Cain breakfast while Oswald had enjoyed his morning tea in bed and then he had got up and got dressed, and helped Molly make one of the spare rooms comfortable. Then he had received another call from Victor to say they would soon be leaving.

Then River had spoken to him and told him her assessment of Julian – and it was not good news. She said he was traumatised, he was definitely showing signs of brain damage and, she added, he knew _exactly_ what had been done to him in Ashecliffe – he knew the damage was ongoing and would most likely cut his life short. But, she had added, she was determined that would not be the case. Oswald had told her he would see her soon, and ended the call.

“There's still hope,” Molly reminded him as she put on her jacket and checked her gun, then she shoved it in the back of her jeans and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

“Stop looking so sad, Oswald!” she said, “Yes, he's been through hell but he's coming home – to you! He's certainly better off now than he was in that asylum!”

Then she kissed him and drew back and picked up her phone.

“Give me her number,” she told him, “I need to call Iris.”

Moments later, as Molly called her number, Oswald stood looking about the spare room that now had fresh, comfortable bedding and even flowers in a vase on the dresser – the window was open, letting in warm spring air and the net curtain shifted as the breeze slipped through. The room was welcoming and had a great view of the ground below and the sprawling gardens. He hoped his cousin would feel comfortable in here, and then as Molly walked over to the window with her phone and waited for an answer, he watched, having no doubt Molly's idea was a good one – she knew exactly what to say.

The phone rang for a short while before it was answered.

“Hello?” said Iris.

“Oh hello there!” Molly said brightly, “Are you Iris? I'm Molly!”

“Yes, I'm Iris... I don't think I recall you...Molly?” Iris replied.

“You hired my business partner Tina Frances?”

“Yes, I've been trying to call her and she's not answering her phone.”

“Unfortunately due to bad weather she's stuck undercover on the job at Shutter Island, there's no boats coming in right now so she can't leave until next week. But she sent me all the relevant information and said I should come over to see you and explain her findings, is that okay?”

“I didn't know she had a business partner, I hired _T Frances Investigations_.”

Molly laughed as she tossed her hair back and the sunlight caught on it, making raven waves shimmer darkly, and Oswald smiled as he watched his wife as she carried on speaking:  
“We're actually Frances and MacQueen, how typical of Tina to do that, always out for herself, that one! Anyway, shall I come over this morning? It won't take long to go through her findings with you.”

“That's fine,” Iris replied, “I'm at home all morning.”

“I'll see you about half eleven,” Molly replied.

“But your office is twenty minutes away,” Iris replied.

Molly laughed again.

“I have a stack of paperwork to handle before I can get out to you. Tina leaves all the boring stuff to me when she's on a case. I'll see you soon.”

As she hung up, she smiled at Oswald.

“That went very well. And I should leave as soon as Victor returns with Julian. It's quite a long drive.”

Just then a car pulled up in the driveway and they both went to the window as Molly pulled the curtain aside, she saw Victor's car had parked and Julian was in the back and moments later, River's car followed behind.

“He's home,” she said softly, giving Oswald a tight hug as she wished she could banish the sadness from his eyes, because it had just returned quickly on seeing Victor open up the car door and lift Julian from the back seat wrapped in a blanket.

“You should go downstairs and tell April to keep an eye on Cain,” she said, “Let Victor and River get Julian comfortable. I'm off now, I'll see you later on.”

“Be careful,” Oswald warned her, “If she's next on their list, they won't wait.”

“You worry too much, my love,” she assured him, then she kissed him again and left the room and hurried down the stairs.

Oswald leaned hard on his cane as he headed for the hallway, his leg was still aching and today the brace had not been enough. He was still worried, too - not just for Julian but for his wife, even though she had Victor to back her up – she could be heading straight into danger, and while that didn't stop Molly, it didn't stop him worrying about her, his wife and the mother of his son. Having a family had made him so much more aware of danger and brought up a rising urge to protect them all, from every danger this city had lurking in its shadows... But he could never protect a woman like Molly. She didn't need protecting. He guessed that was just what love had done to him, changed his heart in so many ways. Then he waited at the top of the stairway as Victor carried Julian up and River followed.

 

Molly waited in the car, taking the front passenger seat. After a short while Victor left the house and got in the car and started up the engine.

“It's going to be a long drive,” Molly said as they headed towards the open gates towards the road.

“And I'm tired,” Victor complained, “I was up half the night guarding River and Julian... I checked the news this morning. They found a few bodies at Arkham after the fire was put out. But it doesn't account for all of the missing and it concerns me they haven't put out any names yet... It makes me think someone notorious might be missing, either dead or escaped and they don't want a panic on their hands.”

They were nearing the main highway. Molly tensed as she recalled the dark days of the past, a time when she had feared she would lose the man she loved at the hands of a maniac.

“Do you think it's Velaska?”

“I hope not,” Victor replied as the hit the highway and he sped up, “Or we could have a lot worse on our hands than the current situation.”

Molly glanced at him.

“We can handle it.”

“Sure, it's just another day in sunny Gotham city,” Victor said, “Maybe it's been peaceful for too long. Nothing good ever lasts for long in this town.”

The traffic was good and they were already heading out of the city.

“You sound like you need a vacation,” Molly replied.

“No, I just need breakfast,” Victor told her, “We can stop off on the way back after we pick up Iris.”

“I don't think we'll have any trouble today,” Molly replied.

“You never know,” Victor replied, “In my experience, there's _always_ trouble waiting to be found!”

 

Back at the mansion, Oswald had made sure Cain stayed downstairs with April, and reminded his son to please be quiet and not make too much noise, because Julian was upstairs and he was unwell. April had taken Cain out into the garden, leaving the house silent. Then Oswald had gone back upstairs and as he entered the spare room, River was standing next to the bed, she had finished setting up an IV and as she checked the needle was secure, she looked intently at Julian.

“You need this to help you get your strength back. _Don't_ rip it out again!”

Julian looked down at the needle buried in the back of his hand.

“I mean it,” River added, “After what you've been through I wouldn't want to restrain you - but don't think I won't consider it if you pull that line out. You've been in very bad shape and you need those fluids!”

“But it hurts, River!” he complained, and turned his face towards the window as he started to sulk.

“And it's not for much longer,” River reminded him, then he gave a sigh, feeling irritated by her fussing as she adjusted the warm covers up to his chest as he sat in bed, resting against soft pillows.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

He was still looking towards the window at the view of the blue sky and the garden below.

“No bars,” he said, “It's nice.”

“Julian, are you hungry?” River repeated.

“I'm starving.”

“I'll go and find something in the kitchen for you. I think we should start off with soup and build it up slowly, I don't think they fed you very well in that place.”

“They didn't,” he replied quietly.

River left his bedside, saw Oswald standing outside the open door and left the room to join him, closing the door behind her as she lowered her voice and spoke to her father.

“I've started him on medication for anxiety and depression – it should help with the effects of the trauma, too. He's also mildly sedated. It's certainly calmed him down.”

“Will he regain his strength soon?” Oswald asked.

“As I said, he will get over the surgery, Dad. But the rest – I just don't know. They've damaged him. I think he will improve but it won't last long. But I have time to look into all the options. I know about certain medications that can help to heal tissues, I don't know if it will work the same with brain tissue but that's something I can discuss with Strange at a later time. Julian needs a lot of rest, and a lot of care. I'll be here most of the time, I open the practise three days a week the rest of the time I'm on call for emergencies. So unless there's unexpected trouble in the underworld, for the next few days, I can be here to look after him. Do you want to go and sit with him for a while?”

Oswald nodded.

“I think that would be a very good idea,” River told him, and she opened the door again.

“Your Uncle Oz is here to see you.”

Julian had been looking towards the window, but on hearing her say that, he turned his head, then he saw Oswald and all trace of sadness left him as he smiled and a hint of a sparkle came to his eyes.

“Uncle Oz!” he said, “I knew it was you when I heard the guns, I knew you'd come to get me out of there!”

Oswald sat down on the edge of his bed and turned to his cousin and smiled.

“I would have come for you sooner if I had known,” he said, “You can be sure of that.”

Then he gave him a hug, and Julian became tearful again as Oswald spoke to him softly. River left them to talk and went downstairs. Now they were alone, as Julian rested against the pillows and Oswald spoke to him, he was suddenly much calmer.

“I feel safe with you,” he said, “Uncle Oz... the Penguin king of Gotham. No one can touch me now.”

“That is certainly true,” Oswald agreed as he smiled warmly, “And I can understand how you feel, I know what it's like...” his smile faded as old memories came back too clearly, sharp nightmare images along with a recollection of the pain he had been through. He took in a sharp breath, feeling shocked at how vividly this situation had woken long buried memories, “I was tortured in an asylum, Julian. It happened in Arkham, many years ago...”

And he began to explain, recalling the time when he had been put through painful mind altering experiments in an attempt to turn him away from criminal activity. And outside the door, as River paused with a bowl of soup on a tray, she heard her father speaking, and what she heard him say was a terrible shock:

_Her Dad had been tortured in Arkham by Hugo Strange?_

 

The car slowed to a halt and Victor shut off the engine, parking the vehicle a short distance away from a house across the street. Molly looked over at the house and then glanced at Victor.

“Wait here, I need to talk to her and explain everything - and this could take a while.”

“Okay,” Victor said.

As Molly got out of the car and closed the door, Victor rested against the seat, watching as she crossed the road, then, as he reflected on the fact that he had grabbed only four hours sleep the night before, he gave a sigh and closed his eyes. The street was clear, it was a peaceful day and all he wanted was take a nap before the drive back as he reasoned, _what was the worst that could happen if he grabbed a few minutes sleep?_ There didn't seem to be a hint of danger in this quiet street... Moments later, Victor was sleeping.

 

Molly knocked on the door and waited. It was answered quickly by a young woman dressed casually in a dark vest and a denim skirt. Her fair hair was tied back and soft tendrils fell around her face. There was a look of caution in her eyes, until Molly smiled.

“Hello!” she said, “You must be Iris! Can I come in?”

She smiled back at her.

“Nice to meet you, Molly,” she said, and opened up the door and invited her inside.

Molly was led down the hallway of her modest home and into a kitchen, where she invited her to sit at the table, then she offered her coffee and Molly declined, saying business had to come first. Now she was sitting with her, she had her full attention and Molly began to speak, ever aware of the fact that she was handling a _very_ difficult situation. First impressions told her Iris had a look about her of one who had been through much in life, struggle, loss, and of course, that attack by Julian must have had an impact, too. But she seemed strong enough to have the situation explained plainly, because she could see it in her eyes. There was nothing weak about Iris, life had certainly put her through a lot, but she had come back from it all.

“You hired Frances to check out Ashecliffe because you'd heard rumours about the place and you wasn't sure if it was safe to go there?” Molly asked.

“Yes, there's been all kinds of stories – mainly online, rumours about dangerous patients, and possible trialling of experimental drugs. It just didn't seem like the kind of place I'd want to go alone unless I was sure their security was tight.”

“And you wanted to go there to confront Julian Lambrick, the man who tried to rape you?”

Iris nodded.

“A lot of bad things happened on the night of the attack – not related to him. But I just wanted to know why he did it, why me, and when I found out he was in an asylum I guess I needed to know for sure that he was as crazy as he seemed – I mean, he had to be crazy to attack me in the first place. I think what I most wanted to find out was if he would ever be released. I really don't think that should ever happen, I'm sure I won't change my mind when I meet him.”

Molly paused for thought. Of course Iris hated him, and clearly, Frances had told her nothing of her discoveries on Shutter Island...

“Iris,” Molly said, “Have you ever heard of the Tetch virus?”

She paused for thought, then her eyes clouded with confusion.

“Isn't that something that broke out in a city somewhere a long time ago? I think I read an article on it... Some kind of contagion that made people do terrible things. What does that have to do with me?”

Molly looked at her intently.

“A sample was stolen from a research laboratory and it ended up on Shutter Island. Work on the virus to mutate it has been funded by a very powerful source and it was tested out a few years back. The test subject turned violent , it seems the antidote wasn't effective. The patient was put back into Ashecliffe and then subjected to several years of experiments, and is now cured with an effective antidote – and will most likely die as a result of it. Their new antidote needs more work, it's too strong, it wrecks brain tissue. _And Frances discovered all this while she was on Shutter Island. That's why she's dead now._ ”

Iris stared at her in horror as her face paled.

“Oh my god, she's dead? Are you sure?”

Molly leaned on the table and looked into her eyes.

“Okay, you've understood everything so far. Now I'm going to spell out the facts: Frances uncovered the truth about the experiments and contacted my husband, his name is Oswald, he's a very powerful underworld boss in Gotham City. The reason she contacted him is because the patient who underwent the experiments is his cousin. He broke him out of there yesterday. Frances was shot because they would rather kill her than have the experiments exposed. The person behind this plan, to hit the world with Tetch two and then sell the vaccine and make billions is a fucking lunatic. This is very big and very dangerous. And you've been calling a dead woman's phone and they have her phone. They don't know how much you know and they'd rather kill you than wait to find out. My husband can provide you with protection in Gotham city until this over.”

Iris stared at her in shock.

“But all I did was hire a private eye to check out safety for visitors on the island!”

“And she found out much more. Obviously, I'm not her business partner either. I'm married to the man known as Penguin, he's head of Gotham underworld and you will be _very_ safe under his protection.”

Iris looked about her kitchen, thought of how these walls had always felt safe – this was her home, the place where her brother had lived out his last days...

“I can't just leave.”

“So you'd rather sit here and wait it out? You may as well hang a target on your back and wait for the hit, Iris!”

“I could go to the police!”

“And they will not listen to you without proof.”

Iris stood up as the chair scraped back loudly and she glared at Molly.

“And where's _your_ proof? You seriously expect me to leave my home and trust you, I don't even know you! And your husband's a c _riminal?_ ”

Now Molly stood up too, and she slammed her hands on the table as she leaned in, glaring back at Iris.

“My husband is _not_ a criminal!” she said angrily, “He fought in the Gotham war, he took up arms to protect his city! You have _no_ idea what a troubled place Gotham was until he took over the underworld! He keeps his focus on trade and making businesses work, he's a builder not a fucking destroyer! In the eyes of every man and woman who fought for liberty in Gotham, Penguin is a hero! Don't talk about things you don't understand. That city has a _very_ complicated history and what people think of Penguin depends whose side they were on in the old days! You're not from Gotham. You haven't lived through _any_ of its past or had someone you love experience those times! It was hard on everyone, don't judge him until you've heard what it was like from both sides, because _both_ suffered!”

“I'm sorry,” Iris said, speaking with no anger as she considered all Molly had said, “You're right, I don't know much about your city. I've heard it's got a long history of war and violence... it's separated from the mainland by bridges, I know it's a vast industrial city, very grey and cold, it's on the river...”

Molly's temper had simmered down. She gave a her a brief smile.

“It's got some beautiful parts too. And it doesn't always rain,” then Molly stood up straight and flipped her hair off her shoulder, “You need to sit down, Iris. _There's something else you need to know_.”

Iris sat back down, looking up at Molly as she wondered what else she could possibly need to tell her. _She knew her life was in danger, what could be worse than that?_

“What is it?” she asked.

Molly paused, hoping her angry moment defending her husband had not put this plan in danger of falling apart. How she reacted to what she said next would be very significant indeed.

“You don't have to stay at the house with us,” she said, “But it's a mansion, it's guarded, it's safe. A lot more secure than putting you out in the city in a hotel or a random safe house. But that's the other option if you feel you can't stay with us.”

Molly paused, looking intently at Iris.

“The reason you have this choice is because there are some facts you don't yet know. Please hear me out and let me explain. The man behind the plan with the Tetch two virus is billionaire businessman Shepard Lambrick. Oswald's cousin is his son Julian, and Julian is the patient who has been damaged by the experiments on Shutter Island. The reason he attacked you was because he was infected with the Tech virus. He had no control over his own actions. He's not infected any more.”

Iris looked at her in horror.

“Julian?”

Molly stayed calm. This was a lot for Iris to accept, and she knew it wouldn't be easy.

“Yes, the man who tried to rape you was infected with the mutated Tech virus and that was the reason why it happened. He's currently staying at the house with us.”

Iris stared at her as her jaw dropped, then she sucked in a shocked breath.

“You're expecting me to stay under the same roof as _that_ bastard?”

Emotion rarely got the better of Molly, but this time, it wasn't anger that burned in her eyes as she felt a sharp jolt on hearing her words.

“I just told you, it was the Tetch virus! If he had never been exposed to it, he never would have done that to you in the first place! He's under my roof with Oswald's daughter and her adopted daughter – and our five year old son! I fully understand what happened and I have no problem with Julian being in the house! That poor soul has been through so much he doesn't have long to live! They experimented on him, he's had multiple surgeries, he's got brain damage! He can't even get out of bed. Oswald's daughter is a doctor and she has to feed him and change him like a baby because of what's been done to him! I know Julian won't hurt you. I'm more concerned _you_ might hurt him!”

Iris looked at her in utter shock.

“You think I'd harm him? I didn't know any of this, I didn't know about the Tech virus!”

“But you do now,” Molly replied, “And I don't blame you for hating the man who attacked you. But you should be holding that virus responsible. Ask yourself, if you got infected, what would _you_ become? Iris the axe murderer? Maybe you'd just go into town and start stabbing random people. Or maybe you'd buy some gasoline and torch your neighbours houses. What's the matter, why the shocked expression? Is that not you, Iris? _Of course you can't imagine doing those things, but that virus turns ordinary people into monsters!_ And he's _not_ a monster any more.”

Iris drew in a shaky breath as she thought about all Molly had said.

“He was like an animal. I had to stab him to get him off me... that was the virus, making him like that?”

“Yes,” Molly replied, “And you need to remember those facts. Because you wanted to know why, and now you do know, while it's easier to hate someone I'm sure you'll agree it takes so much more to forgive. And think you're strong enough to do that. But after what you said about stabbing him, I will _never_ allow you to go anywhere near him again. If you stay with us you'll have to stay on the other side of the house. Victor can guard you.”

“I stabbed him to stop him!”

“And maybe you wanted to stab him again, how do I know what you're thinking after what you went through? I need to protect you both! Now pack a bag, you've got five minutes. We can't wait around any longer.”

“I _didn't_ say I was leaving!” Iris stood up again, fight and fire burning in her eyes, “This is _my_ home!”

“And it won't be for much longer when they send someone to kill you!”

“I can't just leave -”

The window shattered with a boom as glass shards rained in. As the first of several bullets peppered the wall, Molly grabbed Iris and pulled her to the ground, whipping out her gun and placing a hand on her back as Iris tried to move.

“GET DOWN AND STAY DOWN!” Molly yelled, pushing Iris towards the wall and then grabbing the door and pulling it up against her as more bullets rained through the window, shattering china and punching holes in kitchen cupboards.

She raised her gun, seeing two masked men advancing from the back with machine guns, heading for the shattered window.

“ _Oh, this is fucking great!”_ she muttered angrily as she navigated over broken glass on her knees as shards bit through the denim and spots of blood appeared, _“This all we need... and where the hell are you, Victor?”_

More shots rang out and she returned fire, hitting one assailant in the belly and then ducking down again as more shots rained in through the window.

Molly stayed low, waiting for a chance to return fire. The kitchen looked like a war zone, and she was almost out of ammo...

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

Molly glanced back to the door, it was peppered with bullets on the upper half, and she just hoped Iris had listened and stayed down. It was impossible to make a run for it with so many bullets flying about. Molly heard the other gunman jump down into the room as heavy boots connected with shattered glass. She shifted back around the corner, biting her lip as a thin shard of glass sliced into her knee. She counted the footfalls, two, then another, and lunged forward, firing off round after round as the bullets hit the target with precision, the force of the shots that peppered the gunman's chest sent him sprawling backwards as a spray of fire went into the air from his own gun and peppered the ceiling, then he fell, bleeding out on to a floor covered with shattered glass.

Molly staggered to her feet and checked her weapon. The last of her bullets had taken him out. She ran to the window and looked out. It was quiet now.

She turned from the window, shook glass form her hair and looked to the doorway.

“It's okay, we're clear now!” she called.

The door was pushed back and Iris got up unsteadily, looking pale and shocked as she surveyed the scene of carnage with disbelief.

“This was meant for you!” Molly said sharply, “Now go and grab some stuff. One minute, and we're gone before the cops show!”

Iris stared at the dead man on the floor, then looked back at Molly and dashed out of the room, Molly heard her open a door, then she heard her hastily packing.

“I'll only take what I need!”

“Hurry up, thirty seconds!”

Just then Victor ran around the back, leapt over a felled gunman and looked through the open window, saw the body on the floor and looked sharply to Molly.

“Are we clear now?”

“Where the hell were you?”

He holstered his guns.

“I fell asleep.”

“Asleep?” Molly exclaimed, “With bullets flying?”

“I was over at the clinic staring at a locked door all night. What do you expect?”

She shot him an angry look.

“I expect better!”

“I'm sorry!”

Iris returned to the room clutching an over night bag. She had thrown on a jacket, then looked around at the mess and the blood and the shattered glass.

“I'm coming with you,” she said quietly.

“Thank goodness you are!” Molly exclaimed, then she led the way out, taking the back way around the house, then they hurried towards the car as in the distance, the sound of approaching sirens could be heard.

 

Victor started up the engine and they drove off at speed, heading for the the back streets that would take them to the main highway.

“I noticed a lot of cars missing in your street, Iris. Looks like a lot of your neighbours were out.”

“Yes, it was quiet this morning,” Iris replied, “So you're thinking maybe no witnesses close by?”

Victor smiled.

“You're catching on! I'm Victor Zsasz. I work for Penguin. I live at the house, I'm all the security you need.”

Molly raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure about that? Yeah, you're a fine shot – when you're not sleeping!”

“I said I'm sorry, Molly!”

Molly felt a sharp pain and paused to pull a shard of glass from her knee, then she dropped it to the floor and blood leaked from the wound.

“Are you okay?” Victor asked.

“I'll live,” Molly replied.

Victor pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She wrapped it around her knee and laughed.

“It had better be clean!”

“Only blew my nose on it twice.”

She glanced at Victor and he smiled as amusement danced in his eyes, and she smiled too as she shook her head.

“Very funny, Victor!”

Their quarrel was forgotten. Then Iris spoke up from the back. She had done nothing but think on the whole situation since they had got in the car.

“Molly, I want to stay at the house with you and Victor. Now I know what's going on I'll feel a lot safer to stay with you.”

“And what about Julian?” Molly asked, glancing back at her.

Iris met her gaze and showed no flicker of emotion.

“I still want to meet him. Like you said, it was the Tetch virus. I think it might help if I can talk to him.”

“Maybe it will,” Molly replied as she faced front once more, “But you won't be alone with him. And I'll need to talk to Oswald about that first – and see what River has to say about it. He was in a very bad way last night when he arrived.”

Iris said nothing more, falling silent as she watched the highway go past in a blur, her thoughts on the past and the shadows that haunted it.

 

River had been in a state of shock as she had sat down on the other side of the bed and persuaded Julian to let her help him with the soup, her thoughts were still on the conversation she had overheard:

_Hugo Strange had tortured her Dad? Strange, who has seemed like a friend to Oswald, who had restored his sight with the eye transplant? She had trained under him for two years, admired him as a colleague and thought of him as a friend. And years ago, when life in this city had been very different, he had tortured her father in Arkham?_

She focused on feeding Julian without looking at her father as Oswald carried on talking to his cousin about the family home and its history. Then he started talking about his businesses, and still River said nothing. When she had finished feeding Julian, she set the tray aside and managed a smile as she tried to block out all she had learned.

“How do you feel now?” she asked.

Julian rested back against his pillows and gave a sigh.

“Tired.”

“Maybe you should sleep for a while. I think we'll have soup again later on, and tomorrow maybe some scrambled eggs for breakfast? I think you can manage that.”

“Thanks, River,” he said, sounding exhausted.

“My patients usually call me Doc Baby Fish,” she said.

Julian's eyes had started to close, but he dragged them open again as he started to smile.

“Why?”

“Because my mother was called Fish Mooney.”

He laughed softly as he looked at River.

“Your Mom's a fish and your Dad is a penguin?”

She laughed too.

“Yes, I suppose you're right!”

Julian was still smiling as he closed his eyes.

“I wish I had a family like yours... I was adopted as a baby, I think that's why my Dad left me to die in Ashecliffe. Just a possession, that's all I was...”

Then he gave a sigh as he slipped into a deep sleep.

River looked at her father in surprise.

“ _Julian was adopted?”_

“My aunt couldn't have children so she and Shepard adopted him,” Oswald confirmed, “He was just a baby, his parents died when a fire broke out in the Narrows.”

Fish gave a gasp.

“ _Did you just say The Narrows? He's from Gotham?”_

“Yes, he was born in Gotham,” Oswald replied, and he looked fondly at him as he reached out and pushed a lock of fair hair off his face, “But he was family to me, I think of him as my own flesh and blood. I would have taken that boy away from Shepard if I'd been older, given him the kind of life he deserved. _But at least he's back now, Julian is home. This city has a way of calling back its own in the end._ ”

“Maybe when he's feeling stronger it might be worth mentioning to him that he could look into his past, find out more about his birth parents,” she said, “Right now all he has is an adopted father who left him in Ashecliffe to die. What ever he uncovers will have to be better than that.”

“And I'm sure you can help him do that, River,” Oswald said, smiling fondly at his daughter, “That is a very good idea!”

Then as Victor's car returned, he leaned on his cane and got up quickly, catching his breath as pain throbbed in his damaged leg.

“Are you having trouble with it today?” River asked as she got up too.

“I'm fine,” Oswald replied, “And Molly is back now!”

He was already limping towards the door.

“Dad, do you need me to change your pain meds?”

“No thank you, I'm fine, River!” he insisted, keeping his voice low as Julian slept deeply, then he left the room and River followed and closed the door quietly.

 

Out in the driveway, as April hurried around the side of the house and called to Cain, he ignored her and carried on running, heading straight for the parked car on the drive.

“Mommy!” he yelled, “You're back!”

“Oh shit, take my gun!” Molly whispered and she discreetly handed her gun to Victor, because it normal to see Uncle Victor with a gun because to Cain, he was just their security guard...

Molly got out of the car and held her arms out to Cain, who ran to her, colliding with her and giving her a hug. Then he stepped back, looking at her jeans, scratched and torn on both knees, with a handkerchief tied around her right knee as blood stained it.

“Oh no, Mommy! What did you do?” he asked, looking up at her with worry in his eyes.

“What do you think I did?” Molly asked as she smiled down at her son, “Do you think maybe I was playing and I fell over and scraped my knees?”

“Yes!” Cain exclaimed, “I bet you went to the playground on the way home and you jumped off the big slide and you fell like I did last summer!”

Victor and Iris had just joined her.

“Yeah, she did do that, Cain,” Victor said as he chuckled, “I told her, I said Molly, we can't go to the playground on the way home - but your Mom really wanted to play on the big slide. I told her to be careful but then she jumped off and scraped her knees.”

“Did you cry?” asked Cain.

Molly laughed.

“No, I don't cry over a little scratch, I'm a big girl!”

“She definitely didn't cry,”added Iris as she smiled down at Cain. He looked up at her and then turned to Molly.

“Mommy, did you meet your new friend at the playground?”

“Yes!” Molly said, “This is Iris and she's going to be staying with us for a while.”

“ _Molly, what have you done?”_

She turned around to see Oswald standing there with a look of concern on his face.

“I jumped off the big slide,” she said, giving him a wink.

Oswald looked at her torn jeans and bloody knee and lowered his voice.

“You ran into trouble?”

“Two hired guns. I took them out. We left before the cops arrived.”

Just then April came over and called to Cain.

“Go with April,” Oswald said to him, “Us grown ups have to talk for a while.”

As Cain went off with April, River joined them on the driveway.

“Been crawling in glass, Molly?” she exclaimed, “I want you to go upstairs and get cleaned up and I'll take a look at it for you.”

“I'll be okay,” Molly replied, “Don't worry about me, look after Julian,” then she headed back to the house.

“I'll be with you in a moment, Molly,” Oswald called back, then he turned to Victor.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I got there right after Molly took the shooters out.”

“Okay, you should go and grab some sleep now. I realise you had little rest last night.”

“Thanks boss, I need breakfast too – no wait, it's lunchtime now!” Victor replied, “I need to grab something to eat!”

As he went back to the house, Oswald turned to Iris and extended his hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear,” he said politely, “I'm Penguin – you may call me Oswald.”

She shook his hand, then she briefly glanced to the mansion.

“I can't thank you enough for saving my life, Oswald,” she replied.

He looked at her in surprise.

“Iris, you don't have to thank me for anything! The PI you hired contacted me about the experiments because Julian was on Shutter Island. It made sense that once their cover was blown, they'd come looking for you. Please believe me when I say you are very safe here. You can leave as soon as this matter is resolved. Did my wife explain everything to you?”

Iris glanced at the house again, looking to the windows, then back to Oswald.

“This all started because I wanted to speak to Julian and ask him why he attacked me. I understand now it was the Tetch two virus but I'd still like to speak with him, if that's okay.”

Oswald looked to his daughter, who paused to gather her thoughts.

“Iris, I'm River Mooney – Oswald's daughter, but my patients call me Doc Baby Fish. I'm handling Julian's care and right now he's very unwell. It would be better if he doesn't know you're here - for now. I can speak to him tomorrow about you, I won't say you're here, I'll just see how he reacts. He remembers it all, he told me what he did to you while he was infected and he became very distressed. He's on a lot of medication to help stabilise his condition and I wouldn't want to do anything to damage the limited recovery he can make. But I do think, if we do this carefully, it could be healing for both of you to meet.”

“But not today,” Oswald added, and Iris nodded in agreement.

River checked her watch.

“I'll go and take care of Molly's knee and then I'd better get back to Julian. He can't be left alone too long.”

“Why?” Iris asked, and River heard the note of caution in her voice.

She adjusted her monocle and smiled politely at Iris.

“He's not dangerous, Iris. _He's helpless._ Please try and remember that.”

As she walked away, Iris looked to Oswald.

“I'm sorry, I know you're all worried about him and you must think I see him as a monster -”

“It's understandable,” Oswald assured her, “You went through a terrible ordeal and at the time you did not know the reason why. Now you do, I realise it can't erase the deeds of the past - but at least you know there was something else at work that caused it to happen. I share River's opinion. I hope the two of you can meet and that it will be positive for you both.”

Then he led her into the house and as he closed the door behind them, Oswald spoke again.

“I'm putting you in the guest room at the top of the stairs, first door on the left,” he said, “It's very comfortable in there. Allow me to take your bag -”

“No, it's okay,” she said, “I wouldn't expect you to do that for me, it wouldn't be fair.”

“Why not?” Oswald asked.

She glanced to his cane, and silently considered how she had noticed he was in a little discomfort as they had entered the house.

“I'm just thinking of your disability.”

Her words confused him, until she indicated to his cane, and then he laughed.

“Oh no, Iris, that's not a disability – that's just my limp!”

She looked at him in confusion.

“I'll take your bag up later,” said Victor as he joined them, “I'm about to have lunch. Iris, I think you could do with a good meal. It's been a hell of a morning.”

“Okay, Victor, thanks,” she said, and then she walked away in the direction of the kitchen.

Oswald looked up the stairway and took a deep breath, ready for the ache to start up in his leg. Today the stairs felt like they had suddenly doubled in height and length, purely because his damaged leg was aching. But Molly was bleeding, and he needed to know she was okay. He began to climb the stairs, and he did it very slowly, thanks to the nagging ache in his leg that had never really gone away since the day River's mother had crippled him.

 

As Oswald reached the bedroom, River was just leaving.

“She's fine, I cleaned her up and dressed the wound. I put a couple of stitches in her knee, then I'm checking on Julian and then I'm going to grab a coffee.”

“Thanks, River,” he replied.

Oswald went into the bedroom, closed the door and locked it as he looked to the bed, where his wife was sitting on top of the covers, one knee was raw and scratched and the other had a small dressing on it.

“I am so glad you're okay!” he said, and hobbled over to the bed, laid his cane aside and sat down, placing his hand above her injured knee.

As she sat there, Molly laughed.

“It's only a few scratches, Oswald. I'll live!”

“And stitches. You should rest. I saw how much blood was leaking from that wound.”

“Maybe I'll have a scar. But I've got a few more to collect to catch up with you.”

As she said that, his gaze roamed over her body, she was sitting there in just her vest and underwear, and he longed to take her in his arms. He wanted to spend the rest of the day in bed, just him and Molly and the underworld could take care of itself everything could wait – but he knew if he was lucky, they might get an hour before someone interrupted them. It was the weekend, Cain was not at school, April was home, and they had a new guest in their house, and soon he knew his thoughts and concerns would turn back towards Julian, once he woke from his sleep. They had to make the most of this time.

“There's no time to waste, we have little privacy until tonight!” he said, and Molly giggled as he started to undress, “I just had this great idea that you and I should rest our damaged legs together, at the same time, Molly. What do you think?” his eyes sparkled playfully.

“Oh, that's a wonderful plan!” she told him, and she laid back on the bed, watching as Oswald undressed, and as he stripped off his shirt, she gave a sigh as she took in the sight of his scars.

“ _Come here, my tough man,”_ she murmured.

Oswald struggled quickly out of the last of his clothing, as he saw her eyes darken with desire he was instantly hard, it was the thought that he could stand here naked with his scars and his damaged leg exposed, even the fact that he was slightly overweight was obvious – and it didn't deter her. She looked at him and all he saw was love and desire shining in her eyes, and it was all he needed to feel completely wanted, loved and attractive in her eyes. The shy and insecure man he used to be felt so far from the confident lover Molly had brought out in him that his old, lonely life felt like a lifetime ago. As he lay beside her, he took her in his arms and gave her a gentle kiss.

“I shall be careful of your damaged knee.”

“And I will be careful with your bad leg, my wounded hero,” Molly replied with a smile as she wrapped her arms around him, then she kissed him deeply. As she pulled back and slid down the bed, he gave a gasp as she took him in her mouth, taking the length of his hardness straight down, then sucking firmly.

“ _Molly!”_ he gasped, resisting the urge to thrust against her mouth.

She came up for air, kissed the tip of his cock and as he shivered, she got up, then paused to carefully position his aching leg and she cautiously bent her own injured knee, and she lowered herself down on to him, moving gently as his face flushed and he started to breathe hard.

“ _This is what you need,”_ she whispered as she ran her hands down his body over old scars, “Penguin works _so_ hard running this city...” she breathed harder as she rode him more firmly, _“You need a nice afternoon fuck sometimes, don't you, Oswald...”_

He felt a bolt of pleasure shoot through his body and he gave a gasp.

“ _Yes I certainly do, Molly!”_

He thrust with her, as she started to grind against him, flipping her head back as she neared climax.

“ _Oswald... Oh, god yes!”_ her hands reached for his, and they held on together as she came first, and he gasped for air as her walls throbbed tight and wet and he shuddered and came sharply, pulling her close and pressing his head against her shoulder as he moaned against it to muffle the sound.

They were still breathless as she raised her head, covering him with a curtain of her hair as it fell from her shoulders and trailed his chest.

“Well, that was rather wonderful,” she said softly, and leaned in for a kiss, then they separated and she rolled on her back and turned her head and looked at him.

“I think I felt a pop in my knee. I hope I haven't just pulled a stitch!”

Oswald looked down as she cautiously raised her leg. Thankfully there was no sign of blood through the dressing.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“How would I know, River numbed it!”

She laughed softly as she got up, peeled back the dressing and checked the wound. It was still closed – just about...

“That was close!” she said, “Can you imagine if I'd wrecked River's needlework? _Sorry River, you did a great job on my knee but I was shagging your Dad and the stitches came apart!_ ” she giggled and then sat up and shifted down the bed, turning her attention to Oswald's discomfort as she started to massage his damaged ankle.

“Now let me take care of that bad leg of yours.”

“Thank you, my love.”

Oswald got comfortable and gave a sigh, then reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

“ _The fire is out, but the search is still on,”_ said a news reporter as an aerial view of Arkham with its east wing burned out appeared on the screen, _“It has been confirmed that nine are dead and with five escaped prisoners yet to be accounted for, identifying the charred remains of those who perished in the blaze has delayed confirmation that notorious Gotham criminal Jeremiah Velaska may - or may not - be among the dead -”_

Molly stopped rubbing Oswald's ankle as she looked up to see him staring at the screen. Then she looked to the TV. There was a picture of Velaska, and the news report was still running:

“ _For now, the authorities are unable to confirm if Velaska is among the dead or listed as escaped. But they are urging the public not to panic, the GCPD have released a statement to say they have no solid evidence that Velaska is still alive. While the wait for the bodies to be identified goes on, the city holds its breath...”_

“Turn it off.”

Oswald was still staring at the screen. Molly snatched the remote and the TV went dark.

“He's dead, Oswald!” she said firmly, feeling a flicker of concern for her husband, who had been looking at that screen like he had just relived every bone breaking injury Velaska had put him through, “Oswald...” she shifted closer, cradled his face in her hands and forced him to look at her, “Please don't think about it, I know you are because I can see it in your eyes. _Stop it!_ That was five years ago!”

“If he's out there,” Oswald said darkly, “I owe him payback.”

“He's dead!” Molly repeated, then she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, silently hoping she was right :

_They didn't need another fight on their hands, not like before, when she had almost lost the man she loved...Oswald had handled a lot in his life, and nothing haunted him – except this, the day Velaska almost killed him. It was like a ghost of the past had suddenly returned, and it had returned at the worst possible time – Oswald was planning a very carefully staged attack on Ashecliffe, it would involve many of his men and would destroy all trace of the Tetch two virus and its research. That was risky enough, they didn't need Velaska coming back to haunt them, not now, not ever..._

 

As River entered the kitchen, she saw two discarded plates left on the table, and Victor was about to clear them away.

“Thanks for lunch, Victor,” said Iris, then as she exchanged a smile with him, she was tugged forward by a tiny hand that shot in through the open back door.

“Come with me, let me show you!” exclaimed Cain, and she laughed as she let the little boy lead her outside.

“What he is doing?” she asked.

“He wants to show you the tree house,” April replied, “It's this way...”

River smiled as she watched Iris walk off with the kids, then her smile faded as sorrow reflected in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Victor asked.

“Yes... _No_ , no I'm not, Victor!” she said and then she pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, giving a sigh as she ran her fingers through her dark spiked hair that was so like her father's. Victor put the kettle on and started making coffee, leaving her to sit quietly for a moment. Then he set the coffee down on the table and took a seat beside her.

“It's not like you to be so down.”

She gave another sigh and looked at him.

“Can I help?” he asked, and as she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but smile, but then she shook her head.

“Oh, it's just been one of those days... Dad's in pain with his leg -”

“He's always in pain with that leg, he wouldn't be Penguin without a painful limp, he's had it so long it's a part of him!”

“And Molly got cut to pieces today and I had to stitch her up.”

“Believe me, that's a minor scratch to Molly,” Victor said.

“And I'm concerned about Julian. I don't mean now, I mean later on, he's going to get stronger but there's only so much I can do when he deteriorates and I want to save him. But I'll need Hugo's help and he's reluctant to bring anyone back who might not have what he calls a good quality of life. I think he's focusing perfection. I don't care about that, I just want to preserve life, can you understand that?”

“Sure I can,” Victor replied as he sat beside her and the steam rose from their mugs and the kitchen filed with the aroma of coffee, “I'm sure you can persuade him. You and Hugo get along so well.”

She drew in a sharp breath and as a never before seen rage briefly burned in her eyes, in that split second, Victor stared at her, feeling sure if there was any trace of her mother in her, he had just seen it: Five seconds of Fish Mooney, _that_ look, that murderous angry glare...

“I don't even know what I could say to Strange now!” she said bitterly.

“Have you quarrelled?”

“Not yet,” she replied darkly, “But you can be damned sure we will eventually!”

Victor paused for thought. This was making no sense, Baby Fish had always got along so well with Strange...

“What's this about?” he asked.

She blinked away tears as her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I heard Dad talking to Julian about what he went through in Ashecliffe. Then my Dad said he could understand what he's been through because in the old days, he was tortured in Arkham by Hugo Strange!”

She stifled a sob and quickly brushed a tear from her eye, “Victor, I looked up to Strange. He taught me everything he knows, I wouldn't be a doctor now if not for him! And he restored my Dad's vision, and he gets along so well with him. _Why_ does my Dad get along with a man who tortured him, Victor?”

That question had made him think. Oswald did get along with Strange very well indeed...

“I know in the old days it was complicated. Sometimes people had to change sides and make alliances they wouldn't normally consider.”

“But they are very good friends. My Dad is so warm towards him, he's sometimes talked about him like he's a dear old friend. How can he feel that way after what Strange did?”

“I don't know,” Victor replied, “Maybe he's just forgiving. Penguin can be a very kind person - when he wants to be - especially to those who have done him favours. I'm sure over the years Strange has helped him out sometimes.”

“It doesn't change the way I feel,” River said tearfully, “Dad never told me, I didn't know he had been through such a nightmare. I really don't think I can forgive Strange for what he did to _my_ father!”

Victor placed his hand over hers. She looked down at it as in that moment, a small spark of hope lit up in her mind along with the thought, _Victor is holding my hand!_

“River,” he said, “The past was a very difficult time here in the city. You know what the old days were like, you grew up in world of chaos. You won't gain anything by getting mad at Strange. It's in the past for him and your Dad. I know it's a hard thing to do, but try and leave it there? You're going to need Strange if there's a chance to bring Julian back... _if_ it gets to that point, _if_ there's nothing else you can do. Just put your patient first and think about the rest another time.”

She smiled as she looked into his eyes.

“You always say the wisest things.”

Victor shrugged.

“I just say what I think and give the best advice I can. Although it's not a part of my job description – but neither is grocery shopping or sometimes doing the school run, but it happens. In the old days, Penguin just hired me to kill people - but there's _so_ much more to my job these days!”

As he laughed, so did she. Suddenly, River felt a small spark of courage ignite as she looked at him.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Not right now,” Victor replied, “I had a wife once – never again. That was a messy divorce. Worst mistake I ever made!”

“I'm not very good at relationships,” River replied, “I don't know why I'm so awkward and shy, I don't feel that way when I think about people I'd like to date, but when it comes to asking them, I just freeze up. I've never had a boyfriend. But I would like one, Victor.”

She smiled as she looked at him.

“There's nothing wrong with the way you are,” he told her, “You freeze up, you feel shy – there's a reason. That reason is because you have higher priorities. Your career comes first. Look how much you've achieved, you're doing so well, the whole of the underworld knows who Doc Baby Fish is. You're like Penguin, business comes first. He didn't date until he met your mother.”

“You're missing my point,” she said, and she leaned closer, lowering her voice as her gaze locked with his, _“I'm crazy about you!”_

Her words had just registered as she grabbed him and pulled him close, and as they kissed, Victor reached for her, wrapping his arms around her as she shifted her seat, turning towards him and running her hands over his shoulders as their kiss deepened. Victor was instantly turned on and solidly erect as he held her close, inhaling the scent of her skin and losing himself in a moment of passion as their kiss grew deeper. Then he pulled back, as his body yelled yes but his mind said a firm _No_. As he pulled away, he saw confusion in her eyes and he could still taste her kiss and that made it all the harder to stand firm on his decision, but he felt it had to be said...

“I...I wasn't expecting that kiss and it was great. I wish it hadn't been so great!” he exclaimed.

She looked back at him in confusion.

“I think you liked it as much as I did, Victor!”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he shook his head.

“You're a pretty young woman. You're smart, you've achieved a lot and yes, I'm impressed with what a great doctor you are. You have everything going your way in life, and that's great, River. _But I can't date you. Penguin is my boss. You're his daughter. It would be unprofessional._ And I like you, Baby Fish, I think you're great but....”

Her heart started to sink.

“But, _what?_ ”

Victor gave a sigh.

“You're a little too... _Penguin_ for me. You look a lot like your Dad! You even talk like him. You are pretty, it's just there's too many reasons why I can't do this. Even if I dated you, if we broke up, what would that do to my position, working for your Dad? It could get awkward!”

The romantic bubble had just burst. River felt bitterly disappointed.

“So I look like my Dad, why is that a bad thing?”

“It's not! You're pretty, but I look at you and I see a _girl Penguin_. He's my boss and my friend and it would be like...”

He paused. She looked intently at him.

“Please continue, Victor.”

“It would be like dating my boss and I don't just see my boss that way.”

River looked down at the table.

“You're just not attracted to me, are you? I can't begin to describe how I feel for you. Maybe now my heart is broken.”

“ No, it's not. You'd know it if your heart was broken! I need to go and lie down, I should catch up on my sleep, I'll talk later, River,” he said as he got up from the table, “And please don't be upset, I didn't mean to offend you in anyway. It's not as if you're in love with me. If you were in love with me, you'd know and you wouldn't be sitting there looking mildly disappointed. You'd be trying desperately to make me see how you feel, because when you love someone you would do that! This is an just attraction thing and I'm flattered, but we can't. But I guess it's better to be honest - and I'm a very honest guy.”

“I know you are,” she replied, then he left the room and River sat there feeling crushed as she gave a sigh. She wondered if she was destined to be alone forever. On a day like this one, it certainly felt that way...

 

She finished her coffee and went back upstairs, where she looked in on Julian, and as she closed the door, he woke from his deep sleep, and looked so much better.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

He paused to stretch and yawn, then he glanced at River.

“I feel a lot better. Can I have some more food?”

River smiled.

“Of course you can,” she said, “And if you carry on eating as well as this tomorrow, I think we can take that line out of your arm.”

“I really want the needle out of me!” he said, and she smiled.

“This is how we're going to to do things,” she added, “Each step, one day at a time. And you should be improve very quickly. I'll send Victor into town tomorrow to pick some clothes up for you. I expect you want some nice suits like your Uncle Oz?”

“No, I like to dress down, not up!” Julian replied.

“Jeans and t shirts and sweaters, then,” she said, “Do you need any help before I fetch your food?”

He shook his head.

“Do you need changing, are you wet?”

He looked down at the bed as his face flushed.

“No!” he said firmly.

“I'm sorry, I had to ask. Do you think you might want to try using the bathroom today?”

He sat up in bed and moved cautiously but his legs felt weak.

“Not yet.”

“Okay, if you need to go, there's a bottle next to the bed. Try using that if you can make it in time. I think you're getting much better already.”

She smiled and so did he, then her smile faded.

“There's this guy I really like. I kissed him today and he kissed me and then he said I wasn't his type. So if I seem a bit sad, that's why. It's no big deal, I just got disappointed. I'm just not his kind of pretty, I guess.”

“You're pretty when you smile,” Julian said quietly.

“That's very kind,” she said dismissively as she headed for the door, “I'm going to fetch your food now – remember, if you need to pee, try to use the bottle. If you can keep that up for a while we can stop using the pads. I really think you're getting over the incontinence now.”

As she left the room Julian gave a heavy sigh as he wondered why he had even bothered to pay her a compliment when she had just reminded him he was helpless as a baby...

“ _You're not the only who feels unattractive, Baby Fish,”_ he said quietly, then he gave a sigh and tried to fight off feelings of hopelessness and despair as he thought about the damage done to him at Ashecliffe and he wondered again how long he had left.

Then there was a tap on the door and Cain walked in.

“Hi!” he said brightly.

Julian forced a smile.

“Hi! You must be Cain, Oswald's son.”

“Yes I am,” he replied, “And the grown ups said let you sleep but you're not asleep now. Can I sit with you?”

“Okay,” Julian replied, and Cain jumped on to the bed, sat down and opened up a box and tipped out a kid's jigsaw puzzle.

“Can you help me with it? We have to put the animals together and put them in the right places.”

He felt well enough to sit up now, so he reluctantly agreed, and spent the next ten minutes helping Cain. Then he had grabbed two puzzle pieces that did not belong together and joined then, and showed Cain as he laughed.

“Look, half penguin, half fish! Like River!”

“ _Did I hear my name?”_

River had brought him more soup and she set the tray down next to the bed, then Julian laughed as he handed her the two puzzle pieces.

“That's you,” he said, “Half Penguin half Fish. But they don't go together too well.”

Now River was smiling again as she looked at Julian.

“Neither did my parents!” she remarked.

Just then, Cain scrambled down from the bed and ran to the open door, spotting someone walk a past.

“Hey wait, come back, come with me...”

“Where are you taking me now, I saw the tree house!”

 _“I want you to meet my friend,"_ Cain said, leading her into the bedroom, “ _Iris, this is Julian.”_

Iris stood there, staring at the man who had attacked her years before. He looked back at her, both were pale and shocked to suddenly see each other again, and neither knew what to say next...

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

River walked over to the open door.

“Cain,” she said, “You need to leave now, please.”

“But I was playing -”

“ _Now_ , please,” she said more sharply, and she grabbed the box and the jigsaw pieces and put them inside and closed the lid, then handed the box to Cain.

“Go and play in your room for a while. Iris needs to have a talk with Julian... if that's okay with you, Julian?”

Her question was met by silence as Iris stood there, staring in through the doorway and Julian looked back at her caught between terrible memories and a sense of panic.

Cain left and River stepped into the middle of the room, standing between Iris and Julian's bed, as she looked back at him and then to her. It was clear Iris was going nowhere, but she wasn't saying anything, either. They had both been shocked to suddenly lay eyes on one another so unexpectedly...

“It was Iris who hired the PI,” River reminded him, “And this involved my Dad when he was informed you were being held on Shutter island. So perhaps this is fate, who knows? Iris had to come here for protection – the people who experimented on you know she hired Frances. I wasn't going to suggest either of you meet yet but it seems being under the same roof with a lively five year old around makes that impossible to avoid. Kids just want everyone to get along, we can't blame Cain. Julian, do you feel able to talk to Iris?”

Julian was glad he was in his bed as he sat there with his head turned towards the door. He was sure if he had been standing up, his legs would have buckled at the sight of her. He knew he was shaking, maybe it didn't notice while he was resting like this, but he could feel it, even if it didn't show. She looked shocked to see him. But she also looked well, and he was glad of that. Clearly, she had come through this and if she wanted answers, he would try to give them, he owed that her and he knew it.

“She can come in,” he said in a hushed voice.

Iris was still staring at him. He wasn't quite the same guy she recalled from that terrible night a few years back. Now he looked pale and weak and he was resting in bed hooked up to an IV. There was a look in his eyes that said he had been through hell. She could see the scar on the side of his head. It was still held together with surgical thread and she didn't want to think about what he had been put through at Ashecliffe - because knowing those horrible facts gave her no sense of revenge or justice at all. He had been through something terrible and she could clearly see it at a glance. Iris took a deep breath and walked into the room.

“Hello, Julian,” she said quietly, “I searched for you because I wanted to know why you attacked me. Now I know about the Tetch virus it does explain the circumstances.”

River placed a chair next to his bed and Iris sat down.

“I'll be outside the door if you need me,” she added, then she left the room, pulling the door almost shut as she waited outside and hoped this unexpected meeting wouldn't be harmful to either of them.

 

Iris sat there in silence, looking at Julian as he turned his head and looked away from her. As he spoke his voice trembled.

“ _I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I tried to rape you.”_

“I know you had no choice about the experiments and the virus. I know it was all forced on you. It's been explained to me.”

Julian turned his head, resting heavily against the pillows that supported him as he met her gaze and pain reflected in his eyes.

“We both saw a lot of shit that night, but with me, it was making _it_ stronger inside me. It was taking me over and urging me to do something terrible. Maybe I wasn't strong enough to fight it. Maybe I _am_ to blame.”

“It was the virus,” Iris stated, “The facts have been explained.”

“And you can hate me if you want to, I don't blame you if you do,” Julian folded his arms about the covers, keeping them tight to his body as he avoided her gaze once more.

“If you wanted me to suffer, I did, Iris. My Dad put me back in Ashecliffe and they did this to me. They put me through hell for years, maybe you don't think that's enough but I probably won't live much longer. I don't want your pity - I just want you to know he put me back there because of what I did to you. But not because he thought it was terrible. He said I was an embarrassment. But I know I did a terrible thing. And I _am_ sorry.”

“I'm not sorry I stabbed you,” she said in a hushed voice.

He raised his head and met her gaze.

“ _Neither am I. You had to stop me. I'm glad you did it.”_

He looked away and as he struggled to stay calm, then drew in a shaky breath.

“I can't change the past. I'm sorry....” he briefly turned on this side away from her, then something distracted him and lifted his mood and as he turned back with two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in his hand, she felt utterly confused.

“I made this for River,” he said as he blinked it clear his vision, “Her Mom was called Fish and her Dad is Penguin, so this is River. She liked it.”

And he smiled. He was still looking at her, showing her those jigsaw pieces, waiting for her opinion. It was in that moment Iris realised just how damaged he was. One moment he had been talking about the past and suddenly, he had switched to this. Looking in his eyes she saw no malice, no hint of the man who had attacked her that night. Instead all she saw was a very damaged man who understood what had happened, but had trouble staying with the conversation.

“Do you like River?” she asked as she spoke with a softer tone.

“She's very kind to me,” he replied, and he put the puzzle pieces next to the bed and then he turned on his side and looked at Iris, “No one was kind in Ashecliffe. They fucking hurt me all the time.”

He had said it so calmly, but then as memories flooded back and he recalled why he had been sent back there, he became tearful again.

“ _I won't ever touch you again, Iris, I won't even accidentally touch you I'll make sure that never happens, I'll keep away so you know I mean you no harm. Even if I'm well enough to leave this room and have dinner with Uncle Oz and the rest of the family - if you're there, I won't sit near you, I won't look at you -”_

“You don't have to worry about that,” Iris said gently, “I believe you, Julian.”

“Do you still hate me?” he asked.

“No,” she said, sounding very sure, “I know what the Tetch virus did and I know what they did to you in Ashecliffe. No, I don't hate you.”

He looked down, avoiding her gaze as he gave a sob.

“ _I'm so sorry -”_

“Don't cry,” she said quickly and as she leaned in and hugged him, he tensed.

“ _No, no, I mustn't touch you -”_

“This is okay, I promise,” Iris said softly, and she held him tightly, feeling every sob as it shook his weak body.

“I think you need some more rest,” Iris said, letting go and easing him back against the pillow, “And be careful of this line, don't pull it out...” she placed his arm at his side, mindful of the IV attached to it.

“You get some rest now, I think you need it.”

Julian wiped his eyes.

“I think I need to sleep now.”

“Are you tired?”

“Yes.”

“Then go to sleep,” she told him.

“Okay, I'll try...” his tears had stopped now, “Has Cain showed you the tree house?”

She blinked. His question had completely confused her again.

“Yes, he did show me, it's very nice.”

“I can see it from my window... just the top of it. I never had a tree house when I was a kid...But I wanted one...” he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Iris sat there in silence, watching as he slept on with traces of tears still drying on his face. A blanket was sliding to the floor and she carefully lifted it, draping it over the covers neatly, then she quietly got up and left the room.

 

River had been waiting outside and had heard the whole conversation. As Iris came out of the bedroom and closed the door, she looked tearful.

“Are you alright?” River asked.

Iris paused, then she nodded.

“I really wasn't expecting him to be so different... I know why it happened, I know about the Tech virus - but there was a part of me that still hated him and now I don't... He's nothing like the man who attacked me!”

“That's because the virus is gone,” River reminded her.

Iris felt a sudden wave of emotion that she couldn't push away as tears came to her eyes.

“ _He's so...”_ she shook her head, giving another sob as words failed her, and River stepped closer and gave her a hug.

“I know, it's a shock to see the real Julian and how he's been affected by what happened to him at Ashecliffe.”

As River let go, Iris wiped her eyes.

“This is crazy, I expected to hate him and I can't.”

“That's because you know what was influencing him at the time of the attack,” she replied, “It wasn't Julian doing those things, it was the virus. And now he's a very sweet and vulnerable person and you didn't expect to see that, did you?”

Iris shook her head, then she paused for thought.

“I do feel much better knowing the truth. Seeing him now, knowing what he's been through, getting an answer for what he did... it's given me the answers I needed.”

“And you needed closure on the past.”

“Yes I did...” Iris paused again. Something Molly had said about how it was tougher to forgive than it was to hate had just run through her mind, and as she thought on it, she came to a decision.

“ _He needs closure too.”_

River shot her a look of surprise.

“You're absolutely right, of course he does! He's going to recover but it won't last forever – the damage done at Ashecliffe will catch up with him. His time is limited and if you can do anything to help him come to terms with the past, in a positive way, that would be wonderful – for both of you!”

Iris was still emotional as she managed a smile.

“I think it would do us both good if we could try and be friends.”

“Yes, that would be a wonderful idea!” River agreed, “I was thinking about tracing Julian's birth family for him – he was adopted. He was born in Gotham. Maybe you could help him, look into it for him and see what you can come up with?”

“I can do that,” Iris said, “But I'm not sure I should be leaving the house alone, not after being shot at back home.”

“No one knows you're in Gotham,” River reminded her, “ But public records can be accessed online and I'm sure if you needed to go out it wouldn't be a problem.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” she agreed.

“And now I'd better go and check on Julian,” River added, and she went back into the bedroom and closed the door. Iris walked back in the direction of her own room, taking with her a strange but slowly settling realisation that for her, the demons of the past had finally been laid to rest.

 

Dusk was falling as Molly rested on her bed watching Oswald get dressed. For once her gaze didn't roam over his body, or admire that grace that she saw in him despite his slight heaviness as he put on his suit. He was off to a meeting to finalise more of the plans to send in a task force to wipe out every employee of Ashecliffe and destroy the research lab on Shutter Island. The thought ran through her head that her husband was planning a massacre, but it did nothing to take away from the love and pride she felt in his strength for orchestrating this act:  _Someone_ had to stop it from happening, before the virus development was completed – and if the authorities got involved, it would take months to cut through red tape, to gather evidence – and by then, the research would have moved elsewhere. This was the only way. And in her eyes, this was a reason why great men like Oswald had to sometimes perform terrible deeds. Even though his first thoughts had been born out of revenge, this was ultimately for a higher purpose... Better that a few hundred of the guilty die than thousands – perhaps millions – of innocent people, if that virus was unleashed...

Oswald was wearing a purple coat tonight and his top hat. It reminded her of the night they had first gone to the Iceberg Lounge together, the night they had first kissed. But the look in his eyes was one of cold resignation, this was a task that had to be carried out and this was not a robbery, this was not a gang war. The man the city knew as Penguin would make no profit from this mass killing. It was simply a deed that had to be done, and as Oswald saw it, the job had been placed in his hands, and he was capable of ending this before the situation became a global disaster.

“I shall be back around midnight,” he said, “And then all arrangements will be complete and the raid will be carried out on Tuesday night.”

“What happens if any of your people die in the conflict?” Molly asked as she sat up and cautiously stretched out her leg as the numbness wore off and the wound began to ache deep in her knee.

“My men have been instructed to bring back their own dead on the way out,” he replied, “Those who don't make it will be cremated before dawn and the wounded will be going to River's clinic. I have a second doctor on standby for those with minor wounds so River isn't over crowded. We're hoping for low casualties – my men will be wearing protective clothing.”

“I'm glad you won't be going with them,” Molly told him.

Oswald limped over to the bed and looked down at her.

“On the night of the massacre, I shall be at the Iceberg Lounge with you, my dear. And we shall smile and have a wonderful evening as usual. In the morning, I will leave for my regular business meeting with the gang leaders. It will be a normal day. The news will report a terrible massacre on Shutter Island and no one will know who carried out the deed, or why...” the look in his eyes hardened, _“And I hope when the rescue party arrives to free the prisoners from their cells, they hear all about the brutality and mistreatment of inmates. Torture in asylums must not be tolerated anywhere – ever again!”_

“Come here,” Molly said softly, and he leaned closer and their lips touched as they shared a tender kiss.

“You're a true hero,” Molly promised him, and then she smiled, “Now go and save the world, Mr Penguin.”

Oswald looked at her sadly.

“Any act involving large scale destruction brings me no pleasure, my dear. But this must be done. I have no choice in the matter.”

Then he left the room and Molly laid back on the bed, resting her aching knee. 

 

The rest of the weekend went by quietly, the next morning, they took Cain to the park and April went with them. This time Molly _did_ jump off what Cain called  _the big slide_ , and she laughed and swore under her breath as she  _definitely_ felt that loose stitch go pop.

“River's gonna kill me!” she exclaimed as Cain told her _Never jump off the big slide!_ and Oswald shook his head, looking at Molly like he wanted to say so much more about why that stitch had come loose in the first place - but Cain was present, so he said nothing as Molly laughed. When she got home, and River repaired her knee again, she had remarked that she wouldn't ask how she really popped that stitch, because it looked like it had come loose the day before. Molly had given her an apologetic smile.

“Actually...I was shagging your Dad and we got a bit too rough!” she confessed, and River laughed and shook her head as Molly giggled.

The news reports said no more about the missing at Arkham. Molly searched the news online and off for a mention of Velaska but so far, the work was still ongoing to identify those who had perished in the fire following the explosion. With the fire raging at temperatures something comparable to a furnace, it would take time before the names of the dead were confirmed. She hoped Velaska's name would be among them. 

Iris had paid another visit to Julian's room, offering to pack away his new clothes for him. When River came in with his dinner, she offered to help feed him, but they were both surprised when Julian sat up and managed to eat his first meal without help since he had arrived. He was a little unsteady and made quite a mess, but he still managed to eat without help. 

By now River had decided he was strong enough to come off the IV and now the needle was out of his hand, he was noticeably brighter. River reminded him that every small step forward was positive, and then she had looked to Iris and the two women had exchanged a smile: What had started out as a possibly disastrous situation had certainly _not_ turned out that way at all, Julian was making good progress and it made River as happy to see that as Iris felt too, now the past had been laid to rest, and even though he faced an uncertain future, at least the two of them were no longer enemies... 

That evening Oswald took a lot of phone calls, and when he got into bed that night, he was exhausted by the weight of the responsibility he carried for the attack on Shutter Island. Molly had heard it all, from man power to weapons to boats, the wheels were in motion to put an end to the horrors happening at Ashecliffe, forever...

 

As the week began, life got busy. Victor was given the task of doing the school run, Molly was resting her knee because River would be  _so_ furious if those stitches burst again, Oswald was called away to another meeting to finalise plans involving the boats, and River had stopped in to see Julian to take the stitches from his healed scar. He managed breakfast by himself and then had a short sleep afterwards. Then River was off to grab some extra supplies for her clinic because she had no clue how many casualties she would be dealing with on Tuesday night... 

Iris spent the morning researching Julian's history. She had found the orphanage where he had ended up as a child, and called them to ask about his background. She had got the information easily after lying, taking inspiration from Molly, and saying she was a private investigator hired by her client to trace his birth family.

An hour later she found Molly still reluctantly resting her knee, and told her she was going into town. Molly had got up stiffly, laughed and said Oswald should have left his cane for her, then she had handed her some cash, reminding her not to use credit cards because they could be traced and right now, she needed to remain invisible.

Then Iris had gone downstairs and called a taxi. When it arrived and the driver asked where she was going, she wondered why he gave her an odd look.

“Are you _sure_ you want to do that on your own?” he asked.

“Yes, I'm sure,” Iris replied, “I need to go to a place called The Narrows...”

 

After a drive through the nicer side of town and then taking a turn into the decidedly more run down part of Gotham, the driver finally stopped and she paid the fare and got out. As the taxi pulled away, she checked her phone, looking at the map. Then she began to walk down a run down street, where the few stores that had once been open were long boarded up. Here and there, people were just hanging around, some in groups, others by open doorways, and this was certainly not the kind of area she wanted to linger, one glance was enough to tell her that. 

She followed the map on her phone, then came to a three storey housing block, which she passed by and then she carried on towards a row of old houses. The last house before the narrow street turned had bars on the windows and a reinforced door. A car screeched around the corner and another followed in pursuit. Moments later gunfire sounded, two sharp cracks as the cars raced off into the distance. Iris glanced back nervously, then went past the end house and looked to the waste ground beside it. The area was blocked off with an old chain mail fence, and inside it was nothing but rubble and the odd charred brick here and there. She went back to the house next door and knocked. She looked to the window and a curtain shifted, then she stepped back and waited. Several heavy locks were dragged aside, then the door was opened by an old woman in a grey dress whose dark hair was shot through with white streaks.

“Hi,” said Iris, “I realise strangers don't tend to visit this area much but I'm trying to find out about the bar that used to be next door to your house. The people who owned it died in a fire. My name is Iris, I'm friends with their son and he's very sick now and he's trying to trace his birth family. Can you please help? It won't take long, just tell me anything that could be useful.”

As Iris looked at her pleadingly, the old woman smiled.

“I can help you a great deal, Iris,” she replied, “I remember them. I knew them very well. My name is Coral. Please come in.”

 

Iris stepped inside and the woman led her through to a small front room where the furniture was as faded as the carpets. She went over to a desk and opened up a drawer and took out a small wooden box, then she placed it on the table as Iris took a seat on the sofa.

“I'll make us some tea,” she said, heading for the door, “Then I'll tell you all about them. I have a few pictures I keep in that box from the old days. I remember Kathleen and Toby very well...” 

A short while later, Coral sat with her and opened up the box and as they had tea, she recalled the family who had once lived next door.

“Here they are,” she said, passing an old photograph to Iris, “Toby and his wife Kathleen. They used to own a bar next door. They lived here for a couple of years. They died when a fire broke out – it happened in the middle of the night because of old wiring. None of the buildings around here were in great condition, and this was in the old days, many, many years before the war. The baby survived, I remember little Julian was the only survivor. He must have been around six months old. After that, they tore down the ruins and nothing was ever done with the land, it was just fenced off...”

“Can I keep this picture?” Iris asked, “I'd like to show it to Julian.”

“Of course you can,” Coral replied, then she carried on talking about the old days. Iris listened, then when she finished speaking, Coral got up again.

“I have something for Julian,” she said, and then she left the room. 

Iris looked at the faded picture of Julian's parents, Kathleen was tall with long blonde hair and Toby was shorter, with dark hair and pale blue eyes. She put the picture in her purse. Coral returned to the room carrying a folded blanket, it was made up of knitted squares in shades of blue.

“Kathleen knitted this when she was pregnant,” Coral said, “It was supposed to go her son's bed when he was older. The reason it survived the fire was because when we saw the flames, a few of the braver people from nearby houses tried to get in, and one of them got the baby out – they grabbed this from upstairs and bundled him up in it to protect him from the smoke. I took him in after the fire, but not for long. He went to the orphanage. I'm so sorry he's sick. Has he had a good life?”

Iris was surprised by the ache she felt in her heart as she forced a smile and lied. The truth was something she couldn't share, not after hearing this sad story.

“He's had a good life,” she replied, “And we haven't given up hope. He could still make a good recovery. Thank you for the tea and the picture and all your help.”

Iris stood up and Coral handed her the blanket.

“I do hope Julian recovers,” she said, “And it was nice to meet you, Iris.”

Iris left the house, thanked her again and then began to walk back towards the end of the street. 

Then as she passed an alleyway, a hand reached out and made a grab for her, as her purse was tugged away she turned, hitting the wall then slamming an elbow into the jaw of her attacker, then turning and landing a punch that saw a spray of blood hit the wall of the alley. As the man fell, a gun clattered to the ground and Iris stood over him, snatched back her purse and aimed a sharp kick between his open legs. As he groaned, she flipped her hair off her face and looked past him to another mugger, who had run from the other end of the alley.

“You want some too?” she said, glaring at him as she snatched up the gun.

The man turned and fled. 

Iris ran her fingers through her hair, then rubbed her scratched cheek. The knuckles on her right hand were red and scraped from hitting the wall. She picked up the blanket, folded it and stepped out of the alley, keeping the stolen gun beneath it to be sure of protection if she ran into any more trouble, then she carried on walking, heading for the end of the road. Once she left the Narrows, she would toss the gun away and grab a taxi back to the Van Dahl mansion. She didn't doubt the scratches would draw some stares, but at least she had got out of this alive. Iris smiled as she thought of Julian – because of his attack, she had learned to fight. Thanks to that, she had got out of this mess today. It was strange how fate worked out sometimes...

 

The house was quiet when she returned. She was heading for the stairs when the front door opened and April and Cain returned with Victor. He called out the kids were home from school, then walked off down the hallway, as Molly hurried down the stairs to meet them.

“Thanks Victor!” she called, then she reached the bottom and stared at the sight of Iris, whose cheek was scratched, and the knuckles on her right hand were raw.

“What happened to you?” she exclaimed.

Then Cain held up a painting he had made at school and as Molly smiled and told him it was nice, Cain noticed that Iris had a graze on her cheek.

“How did you do that?” he asked.

Iris smiled as she looked at Molly.

“ _I jumped off the big slide,”_ she said.

 

After Cain and April headed off to the kitchen and April said she would make him a milkshake, Molly and Iris went upstairs as Iris started to tell her all she had learned.

“...So when I found out the bar used to be in the Narrows, I thought I'd go there and see what I could find out,” Iris said as they went up the stairs.

_“You went to the Narrows alone?”_

“I can handle myself,” Iris replied, then they stood together in the upper hallway as she continued: 

“I found a lady who used to live next door to Julian's family.... she took the picture from her purse and handed it to her, “Kathleen and Toby, they were an Irish couple.”

“ _Oh my god!”_ Molly whispered as he looked at the picture and blinked away tears.

“What's wrong?” Iris asked.

Molly shook her head, then she took in a breath as she tried to compose emotions that couldn't help but spill out as she became tearful again:

“I've seen these two before, back home in Ireland... in old pictures on the wall at Dermot's house.” 

Iris stared at her.

“Who's Dermot?” she asked.

“Liam's Dad. My Liam, he was my fiancé. He was killed in an underworld shooting back in Ireland. Toby was Dermot's brother, he emigrated and he said after a couple of years he never heard from him again. Now I know why...”

She hurried towards Julian's bedroom as Iris followed, and as Iris reached the doorway, Molly was already inside. Julian was dressed in jeans and a t shirt and had given up on struggling to tie his shoe laces as he sat up and looked in surprise to see Molly standing there looking tearful.

“I have something amazing to tell you,” she said as she sat beside him, “Iris looked up your real family. Your parents were called Kathleen and Toby, they ran a bar in the Narrows. They came here from Ireland – County Mayo, to be exact. Your Dad had a brother called Dermot...” it was one of those rare moments when Molly made no effort to try and make it stop as tears streaked her face, “By adoption, you're Oswald's cousin,” she said tearfully, “But by birth, your real name is Sweeney. _You're Liam Sweeney's cousin, come here, sweetheart, let me hold you!_ ”

And she hugged Julian tightly as he looked as bewildered as he felt.

“Who's Liam?” he asked as she let go.

“Someone I was engaged to a few years back, before I met your Uncle Oz. Liam was working for my dad, Kane MacQueen – he's an Irish godfather. There was a shooting and Liam was killed... You're Liam's cousin. Looking at you, I can see you've got the Sweeney looks! Oh Julian, this makes you even more precious to us!”

She hugged him again, then she let go and wiped her eyes and got up.

“I'd better leave Iris to tell you all about it. I can't wait to tell Oswald the good news!”

As Molly left the room, Julian looked up at Iris, and she looked down at him with a look of surprise on her face.

“Tell me what you found out, I want to know,” he said.

She was still staring.

“Did you get dressed all by yourself?”

“Yes...” he looked away from her as frustration crept into his voice, “But I can't tie my shoelaces. How the fuck can I forget how to do that?”

Iris sat beside him and placed the folded blanket on his lap. 

“Your shoelaces can wait. Let me tell you about your real parents,” she said, and now she had his full attention she began to explain, as he listened.

 

Much later as night fell, after Oswald had read a bedtime story to Cain and turned out the light, he headed back to his own room, feeling exhausted from the intense planning that had gone into the attack on Shutter Island. Finally everything was ready, and all he had to do was sit back and wait for tomorrow night. Molly had told him the news about Julian's link to Liam's family, and he had hugged her and said now Julian was even more precious to both of them. It was rare to see Molly so emotional, and knowing why made his thoughts shift back to Hugo Strange – what ever doubts he had about bringing Julian back when the time came, he had to do it. He would force him at gunpoint if he had to – Molly couldn't lose her last link to Liam any more than he could bear to lose his only link to his mother's sister, who he still thought of as his baby cousin. Strange  _had_ to come up with something. He wasn't going to let Julian fade away and die... 

As they lay together in bed with the TV on, Molly's head was resting on Oswald's chest as she broke the silence.

“Are you thinking about tomorrow night?” she asked as she raised her head and met his gaze.

“Am I thinking about the massacre of more than two hundred people on Shutter Island? No, my dear. I'm thinking about the prevention of an epidemic of the mutated Tetch virus. I'm thinking about stopping Shepard Lambrick from making a fortune from the vaccine for a virus that could kill half the population before it's even been distributed. And I will _still_ be thinking about that tomorrow night when we show up the Iceberg Lounge and smile and have a good time as if we know nothing.”

“And what happens when Shepard finally works his way around to suspecting you?”

“If he does – and that's not a huge possibility, by then Tetch two will be nothing but a plan reduced to smoking ruin. He won't send his men here – my reputation speaks for itself. He's at the least a corrupt businessman and at worst a lurking threat who hides behind his big company name. He wouldn't do anything openly to reveal his criminal activities. He certainly doesn't have what it takes to be a crime lord in a city like Gotham. He wouldn't last five minutes.”

“I hope you're right.”

Oswald smiled as he turned on his side and kissed her.

“I usually am right, Molly!”

Then as a news report came on, he turned on his back and raised the volume as he saw repeated footage of the smoking ruins of the east wing of Arkham. Then as the report began, Molly watched too. 

“ _Now the identification process is complete and the dead have been named and all but one of the missing have been recaptured and returned to Arkham, today the GCPD have confirmed Jeremiah Velaska is not among the dead. Velaska is still on the run and the authorities are urging the public to report any sightings to the GCPD and also emphasise that Velaska is highly dangerous and should not be approached...”_

As Jeremiah's picture flashed up on the screen along with a police hotline number, Oswald stared at the screen in shock. Molly looked at her husband and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Do you really think after what happened before, that he would stay around in Gotham? He's miles away, he's gone, Oswald -”

“No, he's _no_ t gone!” Oswald said darkly as rage and a deep need for retribution burned in his eyes, _“He's out there somewhere and I'm going to find him. Tomorrow we deal with Shutter Island. Then, I shall seek out Velaska. I'm going to hunt him down and when I find him, he will receive exactly what is owed – I will break every bone in his body, and then I will kill him!”_

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

As dusk fell on the night of the attack, boatloads of armed men prepared to head out undercover darkness to Shutter Island. The arrangements were set in place... Now Oswald stood before the mirror sweeping his hair up into spikes as Molly zipped up a long blue dress that hid the dressing on her knee. She had opted for low heeled shoes that night purely because her knee was healing well now, at least the pain had stopped, and she really didn't want to break those stitches again.

“You look amazing,” she said, and Oswald turned from the mirror and smiled.

“So do you, my dear.”

Molly stepped closer, looking into her husband's eyes.

“And maybe that mass killing tonight might just save the world. Maybe tonight, _you_ saved the world.”

“It shall certainly avert a disaster,” Oswald replied as he straightened his tie, “As for the rest, we will never know.”

She kissed him tenderly.

“Don't be so modest!” she said softly.

“ _Uncle Oswald!”_

As April called out, he stepped back from Molly and looked to the door.

“Yes you may come in, April. What are you yelling for?”

She stormed into the room as River followed behind her.

“Tell her the answer is no!” River said.

“No, for what?” Oswald asked.

“I want to help out at the clinic tonight, River said there could be a lot of casualties -”

“No, April!” Oswald said firmly, “Absolutely not. I have no objection to you helping River with a minor gunshot or a non life threatening stabbing, _if_ she needed the assistance. But I will _not_ allow you, at fifteen years old, to stand around in her emergency room while the floor pools with blood, and that's what it will be like tonight!”

“I tried to tell her,” River added.

“I just want to help!” April looked from Oswald to Molly, then back to River.

“Please, can't I do something to help you tonight?”

Molly stepped closer to April, noticed the door was open and kept her voice low.

“We need you to look after Cain tonight. Make sure he goes to bed on time. We have to be seen out together in public tonight as if we know nothing. And while we do that, we need to know our little boy is asleep in his bed, on time. That's important too.”

“April,” River said, “You also need to be aware that we have a vulnerable adult in the house who may need some help. I'm going to get Julian comfortable before we leave but he needs to take his pills and go to sleep by at least ten pm. Iris knows to give him his medication because I won't be here, but she might need some help. She's not a nurse and he can be difficult sometimes. He's getting stronger and he doesn't like being told what to do. You might have to remind him that he's with family and we're only helping him because he needs help at this time.”

April gave a sigh.

“And what about you, River? What if you get a lot of people coming in tonight with gunshot wounds?”

“I will handle that, it's what I do, I'm a doctor who serves the underworld,” she reminded her, “And while we're on the subject of your role tonight in this house, I'll add that I expect _you_ to be in bed before midnight and I know you have homework due tomorrow - so please make sure it's done.”

“Okay, River.”

“Now, maybe you should make sure Cain is settling down to get into his bedtime routine?” Molly added.

“And this does mean a lot to us,” Oswald added.

April gave a sigh.

“Okay, I'll go and do that, if that's the best I can do for you, I will do it. See you later, River. I hope it goes okay tonight.”

April left the bedroom and headed back towards the stairs.

“I know she means well,” River said, “But I couldn't have her with me tonight, there could be some terrible injuries coming in and she's only fifteen, she doesn't need to see that stuff.”

Molly checked the time.

“We should be leaving soon.”

“Yes, my dear. We must be sure to be seen at the club all evening... Oh, by the way, River...” Oswald looked to his daughter, “I know its unlikely that there will be any hostility for us here in the city tonight, but as the injured are coming straight to you I thought it would be best to have one of my men with you as protection tonight. _I have given that job to Victor_.”

River had avoided him since he had brushed off her advances. She felt slightly awkward as she gave her reply.

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, “Now I'd better check on Julian, then I'm off to get the clinic ready for later.”

“Victor will drive you over there as soon as you're ready to leave,” Oswald told her.

“Thanks, Dad,” she muttered as she left the room.

Oswald turned to Molly and smiled.

“Shall we leave now, my dear?”

“Let's do that,” Molly agreed.

 

After dealing with April, River was in no mood to deal with more stubbornness – but as she stood by Julian's bed, she gave a heavy sigh.

“I will be out this evening. I need you to do as I say.”

“ _No.”_

Julian was resting on top of the covers, still fully dressed, changing channels on the TV as he searched for something to grab his interest.

“Julian, you need rest. You have to go to bed.”

“I'm watching TV!”

She snatched the remote from him and he shot her a resentful look.

“Go to bed,” she repeated.

Julian gave a sigh, then started to sulk as he began to undress.

“You want me to get better and then you try and stop me! I thought you was like a sister to me, River?”

Those words brought a brief smile to her face.

“It's nice that you think of me that way, Julian. But I'm your doctor and I have to look after you. Remember you need a lot of rest. I think you've done well today, you've got up you even got dressed. Have you tried walking yet?”

“I'm a bit unsteady.”

She looked across the room, estimating how far he had gone to grab his clothing.

“You can walk a few steps now?”

“Yes.”

He tossed his clothing on the floor in a heap and got into bed.

“Happy now?” he demanded.

She picked his clothes up and draped them over a chair.

“Iris will remind you to take your pills later. Do you need me to change you before I leave?”

“I don't need that any more.”

She stared at him.

“I think you will! Are you wearing anything for the incontinence?”

“No, just my underwear.”

“You might wet the bed,” she reminded him.

Julian gave a heavy sigh and turned his head and met her gaze.

“I used the bathroom across the hall.”

“When?” she asked in surprise

“While April was yelling about helping you out tonight and Uncle Oz and Molly had to step in because you said no.”

“And you could walk there okay?”

“I didn't fall over.”

She stepped closer, looking at him intently.

“I can walk!” he insisted, “My right leg feels weird, a bit weak...but I can walk.”

“I was expecting physical difficulty,” she replied, “But the fact that you managed to do that is wonderful. I think you're going to make a good recovery.”

“Until I start to deteriorate.”

River paused for thought.

“One day at time, Julian. I am working on a solution for the worst case scenario. Don't think about _that_ just yet. I know of cell regenerating agents that might be useful to you. But you don't have to worry about that right now...” she checked her watch, “I have to go soon. Iris will come and check on you and remind you when to take your medication. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well.”

Then River left the room and closed the door and turned for the stairway. Suddenly she felt nervous – and not because she didn't know how heavy the casualty count would be tonight. The wounded would not be arriving until gone eleven pm, and she was about to spend the next four hours alone at the clinic – with Victor, and the thought of him still made her feel like a thousand butterflies had come to life inside her...

 

River met with Victor on the driveway.

“Good evening, Victor,” she said, smiling and then glancing away as she recalled their previous, disastrous meeting.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes I am,” she replied, and he got into the car and started up the engine.

River sat in the passenger seat and closed the door. As they drove away from the house, Victor said nothing, and neither did River. Then suddenly, after a great deal of thought, which hadn't really stopped since that kiss, Victor spoke up.

“When I said you're like Penguin I mean, you're like a _lady Penguin_.”

River sat stiffly in her seat, looking to the road ahead, clearly annoyed to be reminded of what he had said before.

“Please don't make that face...” Victor glanced at her and laughed, “ _Now_ you look like your Dad when he's in a bad mood!”

She adjusted her monocle and watched the road ahead, speaking briefly.

“I think you have made your point, Victor!”

They were on the highway now, heading into the city and its distant lights against the fading sky looked like shimmering stars.

“I don't mean _Lady Penguin_ in a bad way!” he said, unable to hide his amusement, “You even wear suits like Penguin – but a _girl_ kind...”

“That's because I'm a doctor and I like to look professional and well dressed for my patients!”

“And the monocle is cute.”

She looked at him... _Cute?_ He was still watching the road.

“As you know Victor, I've been using that since Strange took cells from my eye to ensure my father's transplant was a success.”

“I like it, though.”  
She said nothing, wondering if she ought to dare to let her hopes rise. Last time she had done that, those hopes had been like a balloon he may as well have burst with a pin. This time, she was afraid to let them rise in case the damned balloon flew away, taking her hopes with it. He couldn't be praising her looks, not after what he had said before...

“And when you walk you have great hips...I like the sound of your voice, too – a lady Penguin with a little bit of Fish Mooney in there somewhere... And your focus. You have great focus on your career. That's awesome.”

“Well I have no clue why I'm being showered with compliments tonight but if it's out of guilt there is no need, Victor. I can take rejection, I'm used to that. I have never had a date.”

“That's because you're like your Dad,” he said, and as he glanced at her, his voice softened and her heart skipped a beat. Then the moment was gone and he looked back at the road as they hit the city and began on the final route that would eventually lead to the clinic.

“Penguin didn't date for years,” he added, “Then Fish came along. He was a couple of years older than you when they first met!”

River smiled as she relaxed in her seat and the lights of the city shining bright against the darkening skies flashed by.

“Just because I've never dated, it doesn't mean I'm clueless. I'm a very passionate person, Victor. I have fantasies that you wouldn't believe!”

Her words gave him a jolt as he glanced at her, then back to the road. Tonight was important, they both needed to be there for the wounded - and to have a car accident now because she had just given him an unexpected erection and he wasn't watching the road would be a _very_ poor excuse for not showing up...

“River... I had no idea!”

She laughed softly, and to Victor, that laugh of hers suddenly sounded very warm and seductive.

“Oh, I could surprise you, Victor!” she gave a sigh, “But, you don't want to date your bosses daughter...” she stretched out her legs and crossed them at the ankles, and for the first time he noticed little heels on her boots and how elegant those legs of hers looked, wrapped in that pinstripe fabric. Then River tugged down the zip on her red leather jacket, and as it fell open, she popped open a button on her blouse.

“Don't you think it's warm this evening?” she asked.

Victor glanced at her, feeling suddenly hot under the collar and definitely turned on.

“Yes,” he replied quickly as his face started to flush, and then he took the turning that led towards the clinic.

 

It was quiet back at the Van Dahl mansion. Iris had checked on April, assured her that she would remind Julian to take his pills – and then she had reminded April that before they left Oswald and Molly had said something about homework, and April had reluctantly looked up from her laptop and said, it was already done. Iris had thanked her for getting Cain off to bed on time too, and then she had left the room, feeling strangely as if this house had a way of growing on her, as if it was almost becoming... a second home?

That was a crazy thought, and Iris smiled as she shook her head, wondering why she would think like that. But there was something warm and welcoming about the place, maybe it was because the Cobblepot family were so close. Even though Oswald was a powerful underworld figure, it did nothing to change the fact that this was a home filled with warmth that only the love of a close family could bring.

Then as she approached Julian's door, she heard heavy breathing and then a sob and she hurried into the room. Julian was on the floor, leaning against the bed, wearing nothing but his underwear and a t shirt. His knees were drawn to his chest and he was sobbing as he stared into the darkness. Iris snapped on the lamp and knelt down on the floor in front of him, as she put her hands on his shoulders the fabric of his t shirt was soaked through with cold sweat.

“Julian?” she said, “Did you have a nightmare?”

He heard her voice and suddenly he wasn't back in Ashecliffe waiting for the buzzer to sound before the door unlocked, he wasn't waiting to be taken into the operating room as he struggled so hard the restraints cut into his wrists, it was leaving him now, as he placed his hands on the carpet and pressed his fingertips into its softness and then looked at Iris, he remembered he was safe.

“Was it a nightmare?” she asked.

He nodded.

“I thought I was back there...” he turned his head, pressing it against the covers that trailed off the bed, and as he inhaled their scent he breathed easier as his tears dried.

“No, I'm safe, I'm home, this smells like my home now...”

She helped him up and he was slightly unsteady as he got back into bed, then he sat there, pushing up pillows and resting against them.

“I'm okay now,” he said quietly.

Iris stood there feeling awkward. She had spoken at length to River about Julian's problems and she had to ask, because she couldn't bear to think of him suffering in silence, his clothing and his bed soaking wet...

“Did you um... did you have a accident?”

He looked at her blankly.

“What?”

“Did you wet the bed, when you had the nightmare? Do you need me to change you? It's no trouble, Julian, you can't help having this problem, you don't have to feel embarrassed.”

He looked away from her.

“I can use the bathroom now.”

“That's good news....So you don't need my help?”

“No,” he said quietly.

She went over to the other side of the room where River had already laid out his pills, then picked up a glass of water and took the medication over to him.

“You need to take these before you go to sleep.”

He took three of the four pills and drank them down with water and then put the glass aside.

“You left one,” Iris reminded him.

Julian shook his head.

“I don't want that one. The white one makes me sleep,” he wiped his eyes and turned his head, meeting her gaze as she saw a flicker of fear reflect in his eyes, “I don't want to sleep tonight.”

“Do you want to stay up and talk?”

“Yes,” he answered quietly.

Iris got on to the bed and sat on top of the covers as he shot her a look of alarm.

“No, no, you mustn't do that, not near me, not after -”

“I trust you,” she reminded him.

Julian grabbed two of his pillows and shoved them down firmly between them, making a barrier.

“That's your side,” he said, “And this is my side...okay?”

He had said it so seriously, she wanted to smile and hug him and promise she was fine to be this close to him, but he meant it – those pillows would stay firmly in place.

“And the light stays on, and keep the door open!” he added.

“Fine,” she replied, then she sat there, turned on her side and looked at him.

“Do you want to talk about your dream?”

“No, it was horrible.”

“Do you want to take that other pill now?”

He sighed and shook his head.

“And get another nightmare? _No!_ ”

“If I stay with you until you fall asleep, I can watch you,” she offered, “And if you have a nightmare, I'll wake you up.”

Julian started to smile, then he laughed as he lay there looking up at Iris.

“Like Nightmare on Elm Street? If I have a bad dream you'll wake me up and save me?”

She laughed too.

“Something like that!”

He sat up and grabbed the water.

“Okay, I'll take the sleeping pill. But don't leave me.”

“I won't leave you,” she promised him.

Julian took the pill and laid back down.

“Are you sure you're okay to stay?”

“Yes, go to sleep!” she said softly.

He gave a sigh and closed his eyes and within a few minutes was sleeping deeply. Iris lay there watching him, clearly, he was showing no sign of a bad dream now. But all the same, she didn't want to leave him after promising to watch over him. As he slept she looked intently at him, and the sudden ache she felt in her heart as she remembered his recovery would not last long took her by surprise:

She had searched for this man to find answers, and they had not been the answers she had expected. Now she was getting to know him, he was nothing like the man she recalled who had been affected by the virus, either. She was starting to feel warm in her heart towards Julian, something else that had come as a big surprise. And she knew the damage done to him at Ashecliffe would cut his life short. It had suddenly hit her very hard: _She didn't want Julian to die..._ As she reached over and carefully brushed a lock of blonde hair off his face, she blinked away tears.

“ _You're okay, sweetheart,”_ she whispered, _“The bad dreams won't get you... Iris is here...”_

 

Far out at sea under cover of a sky sprinkled by starlight and a silver glow of the full moon, the boats headed in towards Shutter Island. The first of the shots rang out just after nine pm, and the attack would be over within two hours, after guards were shot and locked doors blown off hinges and the laboratory had been burned to the ground. Communications to the mainland were destroyed along with the computer system and all patient records. Not a single inmate was harmed as they stayed locked in their cells, far from the blaze and the gunfire that echoed through the corridors. Penguin's orders were carried out well. Every single employee who worked at Ashecliffe was killed that night from the doctors to the scientists to the guards that patrolled the island...

And while the massacre was happening, Molly and Oswald were at the Iceberg Lounge, they had been seen together having a night out, looking loving and close as usual, they had spoken to friends, Oswald had talked with business associates. Molly's only regret had been that they hadn't taken the time to escape the crowd and go up to the office and make love on the floor, but as Oswald had reminded her, just for tonight, it was important they were seen in public together all night with no moments of mysteriously vanishing from view - because of course, the events happening off shore were nothing to do with them, so they would not sneak off, nor would he take any calls that evening, they would do nothing to arouse suspicion, should questions later be asked...

 

Back at River's clinic, as the time passed by, she had laid out her instruments, got the emergency room ready, and double checked medical supplies twice. Victor had gone into the kitchen area and made coffee, then called to her. River hesitated, in all the time since they had been preparing for the wounded to be brought in, they had said no more regarding that conversation in the car. She felt awkward. Maybe he wanted her to make the first move. Or maybe he just wanted to talk... She had no experience of this kind of situation, and didn't know where to start.

“Yes, Victor?” she called back as her voice echoed about the corridor.

“I made you some coffee!”

“Thank you.”

She shook her head as she walked off to join him, feeling sure she sounded as nervous as she felt. She needed to find her courage again. It had been easy in the car, as soon as he had warmed to her, she had warmed to him. Now it seemed everything had got stuck again...

As she entered the kitchen area, Victor pulled out a chair next to his own and invited her to sit. There was coffee waiting for her on the table and he smiled as she sat down and joined him.

“We've got more than an hour until your patients start coming in. So I thought we could talk. Also, the last time we were at a table with a hot beverage, something unexpected happened.”

She saw a playful gleam in his eyes and her nervousness began to melt away.

“And you said there was no way you could date me.”

“That was before I gave the matter careful thought,” he replied, “I don't think my boss would object if he knew I respected you and had good intentions. If I explain that to him, I think he will be okay about it. I've known him for years, I know how much his family means to him and he asked me to be here tonight to keep you safe. He has absolute faith in me to do that. So I think I may have a better chance of his approval than some random guy he doesn't know. He can be sure I'll take care of you. That has to go in my favour.”

She started to smile.

“So you do like me?”

“Like you?” he exclaimed, “You're a cute sexy lady Penguin, of course I like you!”

As she saw the look in his eyes, she started to laugh. Now she understood. There was a sexy side to her being a _Lady Penguin,_ something Victor had clearly noticed before she had kissed him for the first time...

Victor placed his hand over hers and her heart skipped a beat.

“To tell you the truth,” he said with a sigh, “I panicked when you kissed me. I wasn't expecting it... Also, I didn't want that kiss to stop.”

“And that's easily fixed,” River replied, and she leaned closer and they shared a deep and lasting kiss that made her head swim as Victor pulled her close and held her in a strong embrace. As she clung to him, she ran her hands over his shoulders, her fingertips sliding over the leather of his black jacket as she finally came up for air and looked into his eyes.

“I've never actually...”

“I know, you're a virgin,” he said softly, “When the time is right, I'll make it special, Baby Fish. But not tonight, not with the situation that's going on offshore. I'm here to protect you in case of trouble and I have to remember that. Also if you need my help tonight, I'm happy to lend a hand.”

She looked at him in surprise.

“But your job is killing people, _not_ saving them!”

Victor shrugged.

“So teach me, River. Let me see what you do best, maybe I'll learn something new.”

River sipped her coffee and then checked the time. In less than an hour the wounded would arrive.

“You can be sure of one thing, Victor,” she replied, “This will get _very_ messy!”

 

Almost two hours later, after the wounded had arrived and she had started to tend to them, blood was pooling on the floor of the emergency room. River had a patient sliced wide open on the table and was trying to control the bleeding from an artery that had seen a spurt of blood shoot up and spatter half her face, when Victor came out from the corridor, wiping bloodstained hands on his jeans after tying off a tourniquet on the leg of a man with a bullet wound, and then he took his ringing phone from his pocket and answered it, as River worked on to try and save the life of the man on the table.

“Penguin,” he said, “Hi! Was tonight a success?”

“All Ashecliffe employees are dead. The lab was burned, the computer system and all research has been destroyed. All patients are unharmed. We have eighteen dead and you have eleven wounded with River and another fourteen with minor injuries being treated by another surgeon on the other side of the city. I need to speak to my daughter.”

“Okay, boss...” Victor stepped over a pool of blood and joined her at the table and held the phone to her ear as she pushed a gloved hand deeper, and started to close up a difficult bullet wound.

“Hi Dad...”

“How is it going, River?” he asked, “You had eleven.”

River thought of the three bodies piled up in near the back exit covered with sheets.

“I have eight, Dad. Three didn't make it, they were DOA.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“That's three more families I'll have to call and compensate,” he said sadly, “Just try, River. Please, just try. I never like to lose anyone.”

“Dad,” she said as tension crept into her voice, “I am trying! I'm up to my wrists in the guts of one of your men right now! Please, just let me get on with my job.”

“I'll send someone to pick up the dead. I know you're doing your best, River. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

As Victor ended the call, she made another stitch.

“I think this one will make it,” she said, and then she glanced at Victor and saw his bloodstained hands.

“Wash your hands, Victor! Put gloves on before you handle the patients! As soon as I have this one closed up, I want you to move him to the recovery room and then bring me the stab wound – no, the guy with the bullet in his abdomen. _Then_ the stab wound. After that I think we can relax a bit. Get the worst of the injured out of the way first."

She began to close up the wound and Victor was still standing there, watching as the patient's heart rate began to slow to a steady beat on the monitor.

“You just saved that guy?”

“Yes, I did,” she said as she carried on stitching and sounded stressed, “Now I have to save the next one!”

“Baby Fish...”

She looked up in the middle of drawing up a final stitch of surgical thread.

“What?”

He placed a hand on her cheek, turning her face, then placed a kiss on the side that wasn't spattered with blood.

“I think you're awesome,” he said honestly, and then he left the room, and by the time she had tied off the final stitch, River was smiling. 

 

Molly and Oswald had returned home just after eleven thirty, and after making necessary phone calls, Oswald had looked tired but relieved the mission had been a success, and then he had taken her by the hand and told her it was definitely time to retire for the night.

They paused by Cain's room, looking in on him as he lay there sleeping deeply with his night light still on and his covers messed up and one pillow on the floor. Molly crept in and draped the covers to his shoulders, placed a kiss in his hair and turned out his light, then she left the room and closed the door.

“Sleeping like an angel,” she said with a smile.

“A restless angel who wrecks his bed every night!”Oswald added with a chuckle, then he leaned harder on his cane as his leg ached and they made their way towards the end of the upper hallway.

Just then they both stopped outside Julian's room. The door was wide open, the lamp light was on and Julian was resting against pillows as he slept deeply in his bed. Two more pillows were beside him, but they had been pushed further down the bed because he had turned on his side and slid his hand up to the the other side of the bed, where Iris was laying on her back, fully dressed on top of the covers and she was sleeping too, and her hand was also raised and connected with Julian's.

“Oh my god...” Molly whispered, “Do you think they know they're holding hands?”

“I'm not even sure they know they fell asleep together...” Oswald felt a sudden wave of emotion as he took in the sight of Julian sleeping in bed with Iris beside him, on top of the covers, sleeping soundly as their hands connected.

“It's rare in this city to see a happy ending. Who would have thought after the way they met that they could find such closeness and forgiveness?”

As he looked at her, Oswald's eyes had misted up.

“We should close the door, give them the privacy they need,” he said, and he shut the door softly, taking care not to disturb them.

 

They made their way to the master bedroom, then they went inside and Molly closed the door. Oswald sat down heavily on the bed and gave a sigh.

“At least Ashecliffe is dealt with now,” he said as he took off his jacket. Molly sat beside him and as their eyes met, she spoke softly.

“Let me undress you, Oswald. I've been undressing you with my eyes all night. Now I need to get my hands on you!”

He stripped off his tie and let her open up his shirt as he unbuckled his belt. She pushed his shirt from his shoulders and began to kiss his chest, her lips softly brushing against old scars. As he laid back on the bed, she helped him out of the last of his clothing, the paused to take off his socks and give his ankle a gentle rub.

“I'm going to run you a hot bath in the morning, that will do your leg a lot of good,” she told him as she pushed his legs apart and then he parted them wider,carefully shifting his damaged leg as he knew what was coming next and he gave a shiver of excitement. Her hand shifted upwards, from a gentle squeeze of his balls to taking a firm grip on his erection. He looked down at her, looking so beautiful as she knelt there between his open legs, still in the gown she had worn to the Lounge, as she stroked his solid hardness slowly.

“How can this over weight, scarred old body turn you on?” he said with a smile.

Molly met his gaze and reached around and tugged down her zip, then cast off her dress and tossed it to the floor. Next she took off her bra, then she peeled off her panties and playfully tossed them in his face. They hit him warm and wet and it made him smile as he caressed the silk and lace and inhaled her scent.

“Wet panties in my face, I guess that answers my question, Molly!”

“It certainly does...” her reply was soft as she leaned closer, then he gave a gasp as he felt her warm breath on his cock, and as she slid it into her mouth he gave a soft sigh, she started to suck him slowly as he reached down, gently gripping her hair as she grasped his other hand, a silent reminder that at the point of orgasm, he would not fall into oblivion alone, she would be there to cling to him, to bring him back when the last throb of bliss had faded out.

“ _Oh, Molly, you know how to treat your battle scared hero...”_

“I certainly do, Oswald... you're too tired to make love tonight, it's been a stressful day... I know what you need...”

Molly caressed the head of his cock with her tongue, making him shiver, then she sucked him again taking him all the way down firmly, warm in her mouth. As he gave a gasp she released him, then gently gripped his hardness again as she began to move her hand up and down his length, then her movement became harder as he gasped and watched her as his face began to flush.

“ _That's right, Oswald, good boy, come for me, let me see it...”_

“ _Molly!”_ he gasped sharply, and she held him firmly, feeling every throb as a spurt of white shot from his cock, then another, as it ran down his length and over her hand. Oswald was on his back, his eyes closed as he panted.

“ _Oh Molly...”_ he said breathlessly.

Molly reached over and grabbed tissues and cleaned him up, then she placed a kiss on his lower belly that made him gasp again, and she tossed the tissues in the waste bin next to the bed and then curled up beside him with her head on his shoulder as she grabbed the cover and dragged it over both of them.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” Oswald replied as he recovered his breath, then she kissed him.

“And by the way,” she added, “That raid on Ashecliffe tonight – I know you play it down as something that had to be done, but as far as I'm concerned, you saved the world today.”

“I did not save the world,” he said, still sounding weak from orgasm.

“Yes you did!” Molly whispered, then she turned out the light and held him tightly as they slipped off into a deep sleep in a shared embrace.

 

By three thirty that morning, the dead had been taken away and the wounded had been treated and driven away from the clinic. Victor and River had cleaned up the blood, then she had told him to grab a shower upstairs while she finished off cleaning up and sterilising her medical equipment. By the time she had finished and the clinic looked as if no wounded had entered its doors that night, she felt exhausted as she made her way up the stairs to the upper floor where there was a bathroom and a small living area that contained a bed and a few items of furniture. This place upstairs was for days when it got really busy - which were rare - and she needed to stay over night. It also doubled as a recovery room if patients needed to stay, but tonight all the patients too weak to go home had been taken off to a nearby nursing home where they would recover away from the eyes of the law and difficult questions.

“I'm exhausted!” River said as she took off her jacket and draped it over a chair.

As she started to unbutton her shirt, the water was still running in the shower. She stripped off her shirt and as Victor stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, she suddenly didn't feel so tired any more as she took in the sight of his strong and toned body. He was staring back at her, this was the first time he had seen Baby Fish out of what he called her _Lady Penguin_ suit, and she was wearing a black lace bra that perfectly cupped her breasts.

“I left the shower on for you,” he said.

“Thank you, Victor,” she replied, and continued to strip off her clothing as she stood there, her gaze locked with his.

Victor could feel his arousal increasing as she stepped out of her panties and cast off her bra, then she left her clothing in a heap on the floor and brushed past him as she went into the bathroom. He gave a heavy sigh, feeling torn between waiting for her or taking up that unspoken invitation to join her in the shower. Then she called his name and he smiled, tugged at the towel and let it fall to the floor, then he entered the bathroom and as he stepped into the shower, he embraced her under the warm water. As she looked into his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her.

“I figured the best place to kiss a Baby Fish is in water,” he said, and laughed softly as she pulled him closer and they kissed deeply, passionately, and this time, Victor did not pull away.

“Take me!” she whispered breathlessly in his ear, and he kissed her again, then finally he pulled back. Her gaze had wandered down to his erection, and he was aching for her, but the fact was not lost on him that if they made love now it would be her first time – and he wanted it to be better than a quick liaison in the shower above the clinic...

He broke off from their kiss and turned off the water.

“Not here,” he said, “And not tonight.”

As she looked at him in confusion he smiled, listening to his heart and hearing clearly what it was telling him.

“I'm crazy about you too,” he promised her, “And we will have so much more - but not yet, Baby Fish. You're not just a one night stand or some casual encounter. I know it, I can feel it! So I'm going to do this properly, starting tomorrow, when I speak to your Dad. I'm doing this the old fashioned way. _I want Penguin's blessing first_.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 

As the first light of dawn broke through the morning skies, as the smoke was spotted on the mainland, the fire at Shutter Island had finally been noticed. When the choppers flew overhead and spotted the bodies littered about the grounds of the asylum and took in the sight of part of the complex in a smoking ruin, the alert was raised. Overnight, the island had been attacked, the research lab burned to the ground, and every employee of the institution had been slaughtered...

But the news was yet to break in Gotham. As the sun rose and sent warm rays of light through the net curtains that hung at the window, Iris opened her eyes and blinked away sleep, smiling as she heard the sound of soft, steady breathing close by. Then she realised she was holding on to someone's hand. She turned her head. Julian was in bed, fast asleep on his side, breathing against the pillow and so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. His hand was linked with hers and those pillows he had put between them were further down the bed, it seemed they had both rolled close in the night. She didn't recall falling asleep, but certainly, it didn't seem as if he had been woken by nightmares this time...

Just then he opened his eyes and as he looked at her, he felt a brief moment of panic as he lay there next to her, holding on to her hand. She was looking into his eyes and he suddenly realised to his surprise – and alarm – that for the first time in a long while, he had woken up feeling aroused.

“No bad dreams?” she asked.

He made a move to pull his hand away, but she gripped it gently.

“It's okay,” she said softly, “You're allowed.”

“Allowed to do what?” he whispered.

“You can touch me,” she said as her eyes filled with warmth and she spoke reassuringly, “You have my permission, Julian. I'm glad I stayed the night. You needed me. And that's okay too.”

They lay together for a moment in silence, then as he let go of her hand, he cautiously reached up and ran his fingertips over her hair.

“You look so pretty,” he said softly, “There's so much I want to say but I can't find the words, they get lost.”

“You mean you can't articulate like you used to?”

He smiled as her wording was also lost to him.

“Probably. I could try and say what I feel but it will come wrong, or sound dirty... I feel like half my mind is missing.”

She leaned closer and their lips touched. It was a soft, gentle kiss and as she pulled away, he looked genuinely surprised.

“Can I hold you?”

“Yes you can, I said, you're allowed. _Everything_ is allowed,” she whispered. As he pulled her close he was clumsy, partly due to the fact that he was still recovering, and partly down to the damage caused to him at Ashecliffe, but he pulled the covers back as their bodies connected and then he kissed her deeply. She held him tightly, then ran her fingers through his hair, as her fingertips brushed over old scars beneath it, a timely reminder of why he was shaking as he kissed her again. Then he moved awkwardly on the mattress, shifting his lower body away from her as he kissed her again.

“What are you doing?” Iris said as she tried to pull him closer and felt resistance.

“I hurt you once... it wouldn't be right...”

“No, we move on from that now,” she told him firmly, and as she stroked his hair and looked into his eyes, he blinked away tears, then he laughed as his easily distracted mind moved on to something else.

“You kept me safe! The bad dreams didn't get me last night, Iris!”

“Maybe I should be here for you more often,” she told him, pulling him closer.

He tensed, breathing hard as his face flushed.

“I've got a...” he breathed hard again, frustrated at the basic wording that was flowing through his mind, “No, I can't say it...”

Iris sat up, then she turned him on his back as he looked up at her with a flash of panic in his eyes.

“Say it!”

He laughed nervously.

“I'll sound dirty... I don't want to say that to you...”

Iris smiled as she looked down at him, and he smiled up at her despite his nervousness.

“ _I think you like being dominated, Julian...”_ she whispered playfully, _“Now tell me, just say it and I don't care if it comes out dirty....”_

His face flushed heavily.

“ _My cock's hard...”_

She pushed the covers further down, then he gave no resistance, laying back and breathing hard as she pulled down his underwear.

“Do you want me to do something about this?” she said in a low voice, smiling as her hand slid down his body.

“ _Oh yes, yes please, please touch me, touch my cock!”_

He was panting hard as he felt her close her hand around his hardness, then he closed his eyes tightly.

“ _Yes please, Iris! Touch it, do it harder....”_

As she began to caress him, he shivered and panted as he opened his eyes, looking up at her, completely taken over by the moment. It had been years since a woman had touched him, and a long time since he had managed to get aroused after all the shit they done to him at Ashecliffe... She stroked him harder and he caught his breath, then gave a gasp, coming fast and hot over her hand with a weak throb as his gaze never left hers.

“Was that nice?” she asked tenderly, and he could only nod as his eyes filled with tears, then he reached for her and held her tightly and wept softly with his head pressed against her shoulder. Iris held him gently, stroking his hair as she kissed his cheek and told him everything was okay.

“It was so nice,” he said tearfully, “I forgot how good it felt...” then he pulled back and looked at her, “Sorry I didn't last. I knew I'd be shit, it's been so long since -”

“That doesn't matter,” she promised him, “Just let me hold you, Julian.”

His tears stopped as she held him in her arms, and as he curled up close to her and rested his head on her shoulder he started to smile.

“I never thought anyone would want me again, not after what I've been through... You must like me a lot...” his smile faded, “But you know I might die, you do know that? And you still want me, Iris?”

She put her hand under his chin and raised his head, meeting his gaze with an expression of deepest love.

“It doesn't matter if we have ten years or ten weeks,” she told him, “I know how I feel. I'm going to be with you and I will never, ever regret this.”

His eyes filled with tears again, and she kissed him quickly before he had a chance to weep again, then she rolled on top of him, grasping his hands and playfully pinning them at his sides as desire shone in her eyes.

“So you can't always find the right words when you're feeling horny and it comes out dirty?” she said playfully, “I can live with that. It might even turn me on. Tell me what you want to do to me.”

That had sounded like a command. Julian laughed nervously.

“Iris, no, I can't say that...”

“Yes you can, talk to me...” her hand slid between his legs and he gave a gasp and laughed as she playfully squeezed his balls.

“ _Iris!”_

“Tell me!”

His face flushed again.

“ _I want to lick your pussy.”_

She got up and stripped off her skirt and underwear and as she laid back and he pushed her legs apart, she gently placed her hand on the back of his head, stroking his hair as she pushed his face against her wetness.

“ _Wish granted,”_ she whispered.

As he tasted her quickly with enthusiasm, she gave a gasp and murmured words of encouragement. The feel of his mouth on her sex, his breathing hot and fast and the way he stopped to kiss her down there, his enthusiasm for giving her pleasure and the way his shaking hands clung to her thighs while he did it was enough to tip her over the edge. She came hard, thrusting against his face, keeping her grip on his hair gentle as she remembered his recent healing scar, and as he finally came up for air and she raised her head and met his gaze, he was smiling and victory shone in his gaze as he shifted up the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

“I hope that makes up for me being so so shit before,” he said, “You touched me for two seconds and it was over for me. I'm sorry about that. But you liked what I did? Tell me Iris, did I eat your pussy okay?”

She laughed softly as she held him.

“You made me happy, yes,” she promised.

Then Julian had a sudden thought and let go of her and sat up.

“Iris can you go and ask my Uncle Oz if he has a spare cane? I'll walk better with a cane. I want to get up.”

She sat up, still recovering her breath as she smiled and shook her head. She had just come. Her legs were still shaking, and Julian was already thinking about other things as his easily distracted mind worked faster.

“It's six am!”

“So just go in and don't wake him!”

She grabbed her skirt and put it on.

“Okay, I'll do that for you! Wait there!”

“And be quick, I need the bathroom, I don't want to pee myself!”

Iris gave him a kiss in reply and then got up and left the room.

 

As she tapped lightly on the door of the master bedroom, Iris paused, then heard Molly say _Who is it?_

“It's Iris... Julian wants to borrow a cane?”

There was a pause, she heard Oswald sleepily mutter something and then Molly said _Julian needs to borrow a cane,_ _go back to sleep_ , then she told her to come in. As she opened the door, Molly was on her side with the sheets up to her shoulders and Oswald was on his back, breathing easily as he slipped back into a much needed rest after the stress of the night before.

“Over there by the window,” Molly whispered, and Iris went over to the window, where she saw several canes resting against the wall. She chose a thin, elegant black cane with a silver handle.

“Is this one okay?”

“He won't miss it, he rarely uses that one,” Molly whispered, and then Iris thanked her and left the room with the cane in her hand.

She found Julian standing in the doorway of his room, leaning against it for support. She handed him the cane and as he put weight on it, his balance was much steadier.

“Thanks, I can cope now,” he said, and he made his way across the hall and into the bathroom and closed the door.

Iris went back into his room and picked up her underwear from the floor as she smiled, thinking how unexpected their encounter had been – but she had no regrets. She was growing closer to Julian with every passing day, and it felt so right. Her thoughts briefly turned to his uncertain future and worry clouded her gaze, then she thought no more on it as she made his bed, laying the knitted blanket on top, and straightening his pillows. He had still not returned, and she was starting to worry.

Iris left the room and crossed the hall, heard the sound of running water and when she said his name she got no reply and felt concerned, so went into the bathroom. Julian was under the shower washing his hair and as she came in, he smiled.

“I'm a bit unsteady. Can you come in here and help me?”

As he asked that question, he was clinging to the open door of the shower. Iris locked the door, then she stripped off her clothing and joined him under the warm water as they shared a kiss and she rinsed the last of the shampoo from his hair. After she turned off the water, he had to sit down on the edge of the bath as she dried him, then she grabbed a bathrobe from a hook on the back of the door and helped him to put it on.

“You look sexy with wet hair,” he said.

Iris pushed her hair off her face and laughed.

“So do you.”

She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself and then helped him to stand, then they left the bathroom together and crossed the hallway and went back into his room and Iris closed the door behind them.

“You made my bed!” Julian said in surprise.

“Do you want to get dressed?” she asked him, “I'm happy to help.”

As she stepped closer and hugged him, for a moment he rested his head on her shoulder, then he stepped back as an idea came to mind.

“I want to go downstairs!”

“I'll help you.”

“And I want breakfast.”

Iris smiled.

“I think we can manage that,” she said fondly, and then she kissed him again.

 

River had got home just before five am. That morning she had hoped to sleep in late, but Cain was up at seven and running into his parent's room yelling _Good morning!_ And then she had checked the time and remembered she had to open up her clinic by eleven. She got out of bed, threw on a silken robe decorated with a pattern of peacock feathers and then made her way downstairs where she knew coffee would revive her. Memories of last night had flooded back and made her smile – they had reached home before five am, but had parked out in the drive way, kissing in the car for fifteen minutes. Victor had been a gentleman, determined he would speak to her father before they started dating. Victor was currently asleep in his own room and she left him to sleep, he was as tired she was, and he didn't need to get up early today.

When she reached the kitchen, she stood there in the doorway feeling pleasantly surprised: Julian was up and dressed. He was sitting at the table as Iris cleared away plates and there was a smell of breakfast in the air. She noticed his right hand shook as he drank from his coffee cup, then he set it down again and looked up at River.

“I'm feeling a lot better today!”

“You look so much better too!” River said kindly, “Has Iris been helping you?”

“ _Iris loves me.”_

River shot her a look of surprise as Iris returned to the table.

“Please remember he's damaged and very sick,” River said as she lowered her voice, “Sometimes when two people have been through difficult circumstances emotions can get confused -”

“There's no confusion,” Iris told her, “We know what we feel for each other. I want to help Julian and I want to spend as much time with him as I can.”

“And he's vulnerable,” River said quietly.

“ _And_ I'm right here in the room and I can hear you,” Julian reminded her, “I know I'm unsteady and I don't always say the right things but I'm _not_ stupid.”

“I know that,” River replied, “I wasn't implying -”

“I want to get involved with the plans for his future treatment,” Iris added quickly, and she took hold of Julian's hand, “You said you might be able to help him, you said there could be hope?”

River gave a heavy sigh.

“There could be a way to save him...” she turned away and set about making much needed coffee as she tried to shake off her tiredness, “But it will be complicated and may have to be done after the damage has run its course.”

Iris had realised what she meant at the same time as Julian, and he spoke up first.

“But I'll be dead by then!”

“River what exactly do you mean?” Iris said in alarm.

“Give me a minute, I'm exhausted...”

River made coffee then joined them at the table.

“I wasn't going to tell you yet, but you're making a good recovery so now is perhaps the best time... I trained under a very clever scientist. I know how to regenerate cells and tissue. It could work on brain tissue but even if it did, I would have to clean out the remains of the antidote that killed the Tetch virus and that could potentially cause more damage. The tissue regeneration can heal scars but _not_ remove them. And this would have to be done after death. There's a way to reverse death, it's been known for many years and it works - but this means you would have to ...” she paused, seeing the shocked look on her face as Iris listened, then she looked at Julian, remembering that while he didn't sound too bright, he understood everything she was saying completely, “You would have to let the damage run its course and die before I can treat the damage and then revive you. I'm confident it can be done. I just have to persuade Hugo Strange to help me.”

“ _He has to die?”_ Iris said in a hushed voice.

Julian looked across the table at River and at a glance she knew his mind was already made up. He wanted to survive, and if this was the only way, he was taking it.

“Tell Strange I want to do this. Tell him I'll do anything, what ever it takes. I just want to live.”

“I will tell him that,” River replied, “I'll beg him if I have to. You deserve to have your life back, Julian.”

Her face was pale as Iris spoke again.

“But Julian, she's talking about bringing you back from the dead!”

“But Iris, she's not like the doctors at Ashecliffe, we can trust her.”

“And we don't have to think about that situation yet,” River reminded them, “It could be a very long way off. And by the way, it's good to see the two of you becoming so close.”

Julian smiled as his thoughts switched to another matter.

“I can get a hard on again!” he announced.

River coughed and put her coffee down sharply.

“And that is not a subject for the breakfast table, Julian!”

“But I come in five seconds,” he added, oblivious to her previous remark.

Just at that moment, Victor entered the kitchen.

“No sex talk at the table, Julian,” he said, and gave his shoulder a friendly pat, then he glanced at River and smiled and she smiled back as her face flushed.

As he helped himself to coffee, River looked across the table at Iris and Julian.

“You need to take things slowly,” she said as she lowered her voice, “Focus on affection and cuddles and kissing... maybe some gentle touching. Remember you've been very unwell, Julian. You have to be patient. Now I can't discuss this any more, not at the kitchen table.”

“Discussions,” Victor remarked as he turned towards her, “That's why I'm up so early! I'm going to have a discussion with Penguin today...”

“Oh yes, I remember,” River said as her voice softened and her face flushed, then he gave her a wink and left the room.

Julian shifted his chair back and reached for his cane.

“I get so tired when I eat! I think I need to lie down.”

“I'll come with you,” Iris said, and as he got up without help and leaned on his cane and they left the room together, River saw them exchange a look that she felt had to be love. It made her happy to think that two people who had started out as enemies could have found something so precious together. It was too cruel to think that soon Julian would lose his life because of the damage done to him on Shutter Island. Now her mind was made up: She would talk to Strange, and she would do it today, and she would not accept _no_ as an answer. Strange owed her something - he certainly owed her father for the torture he had put him through years before...

 

Molly was upstairs with Cain, telling him to hurry up and get dressed because he needed to have breakfast before school. April was calling to Molly to confirm yes, her homework was done. Oswald was up and dressed by now and looking his usual immaculate self as he made his way down the stairs. Today the ache in his leg had eased off, it was going to be a good day, he had concluded. Then he met Victor at the bottom of the stairs.

“You're up already, after last night? I told you, take the morning off, stay in bed.”

“Actually, I needed to talk to you about something, Penguin.”

Oswald stood there in the hallway looking at Victor intently. There was a serious expression about his face, and that instantly worried Oswald after such a successful night with the raid on Shutter Island.

“Was there a problem last night?” he stepped closer, leaning hard on his cane as he glared at him, “I was led to believe the raid was a success!”

“It was! It's not about that!”

Victor seemed unusually worked up. Oswald eyed him closely.

“Why are you looking so worried, Victor? When you get worried, I should definitely be concerned!”

Victor paused for thought and shook his head.

“It's nothing to do with business.”

“Oh.” Oswald's whole demeanour instantly changed as he relaxed once more, “So what is it, Victor?”

“I'm crazy about someone. And I won't date her without your blessing. _Penguin, is it okay if I start dating Baby Fish?_ ”

Oswald's jaw dropped. _Victor and River? He had not seen a hint of attraction between them, he had never imagined the two of them would get close..._

“Please,” Victor said, “Listen to me, Penguin, I'll be good to her, I'll protect her, I'll make her happy. She's not like other girls. She's Baby Fish, she's different, she's special!”

Oswald stiffened and briefly turned away, straightening his shoulders as he thought about the situation.

“And you really think you can make my daughter happy?” he said coldly.

“Yes boss, of course I can! There's so much I love about her... just hear me out, she's so focussed on her work, she's such a great doctor. I saw her last night, saving your men. I watched her... she's incredible in _so_ many ways!”

As he stood there with his back turned, Oswald was secretly smiling.

“I know she is,” he said agreed, and he turned back to Victor and his eyes sparkled with warmth.

“Of course you have my blessing! I have no doubt you will love her – and always protect her. I know you will make her very happy.”

As Oswald smiled, so did Victor, then he shrugged.

“Of course I will! You'd have me killed if I didn't!”

Somewhere at the back of that warm gaze, a flicker of ice glimmered in Oswald's eyes.

“You know me too well, Victor,” he replied darkly, and then his warmth was instantly back, “But I have no doubt you and Baby Fish will be very happy together. Of course you have my blessing!”

He held out his hand and Victor shook it as the two men exchanged a smile. Just then Cain raced past them heading for the kitchen as Molly reached the bottom of the stairs.

“No running, Cain!” she called out, then she looked with interest to Oswald and Victor.

“What's going on?”

“Victor informs me that he is dating River,” Oswald replied.

Molly smiled.

“I can see that working out well,” she replied, “I'm happy for you both, Victor.”

“Thanks,” Victor said, “Now I'd better go and catch up on my sleep – I'm going to meet River later, when she finishes work at the clinic.”

As Victor walked off, Iris said _excuse me,_ and they stepped aside as Oswald looked on in surprise to see Julian was up and dressed and leaning on his borrowed cane.

“You look well this morning!” he exclaimed, “It's truly wonderful to see you up at last!”

“Not for long, I'm going for a lie down,” Julian replied, “I'm tired again. At least I had breakfast.”

“And you made it down the stairs,” Iris reminded him, and she put her arm around him as they took the first stair together, “Now let's get you back up those stairs for a while.”

Oswald and Molly watched as Iris began to help him up the stairs, Julian struggled with the uphill climb, but it was clear to see for now, he was definitely improving.

“It makes me happy to see those two so close,” Oswald said as Iris helped him safely to the top then led Julian off towards the bedroom, “It must be something about the spring time, Molly – first Julian and Iris and now Victor and Baby Fish...”

Molly leaned closer to her husband, “And us too – we never stop loving each other!”

“That is very true, my dear!”

Oswald kissed her fondly, and the kiss lingered – until they heard the sound of a car on the driveway and Oswald let go of her and looked to the window.

“What the hell is Jim Gordon doing here?” he said.

As he looked back at her and she saw a flicker of alarm in his eyes, Molly felt a jolt as she suddenly feared for her husband – by now, the news of the raid on the island would be out: _Did they somehow know the man behind it was Penguin?_

 

As Jim rang the bell, Molly's heart was racing. She wasn't showing it on the outside, but inwardly, she was closer now than she ever wanted to be to her greatest fear: _Oswald behind bars, their togetherness limited to prison visits, knowing her husband would be in jail for the rest of his life or worse, convicted of mass murder and sent to the electric chair..._ Some fears were so terrible Molly never wanted those inner demons to dare to show their face even in her darkest moments. She was the daughter of a godfather. She had married a Gotham underworld kingpin. She knew the score, live by the sword and sometimes die by it, that was how life went for men who walked Oswald's path, but sometimes, thanks to luck, it did not happen like that – but remembering that didn't make moments like this any easier to handle. There it was, that one moment, when life truly had the power to strike fear into her heart, the fear of losing her Oswald to handcuffs and prison bars...

Oswald opened the door as Jim ran the bell again.

“Hello Jim!” he said warmly, looking out to the driveway and seeing no squad cars or officers with him, “What an unexpected surprise! Do come in!”

Molly had noticed it too: _No company. So this was not an arrest._ She had breathed a discreet sigh of relief before she smiled warmly at Jim and offered him coffee.

“I won't stop,” Jim said as he stood in the open doorway, “This isn't a social visit, Oswald...” and a worried look came to his eyes, “I'm sure you've heard the reports that Jeremiah Velaska is confirmed escaped?”

“Yes, we are aware,” Oswald replied.

Jim paused, choosing his words carefully.

“We suspect the explosion and fire at Arkham was arranged by Valeska. It may or may not be a coincidence that another asylum, Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island, was attacked last night. All the guards were killed and so were the medical staff, and the lab was burned down. We don't know if any patients are missing, all records have been destroyed. But we think it's possible Velaska is behind that attack too. It could be he's trying to form an alliance with someone who he had to bust out of Ashecliffe. But either way, he's on the loose and I know you're Penguin and you can handle your own protection, but I want to offer you the protection of the GCPD. Last time he got out he put his intentions out there very clearly that he wanted to kill Penguin and take his territory. I'm not suggesting you can't handle this. I just want to help you and your family, should you need the back up.”

Oswald laughed out loud.

“Oh Jim, that's the funniest thing I've heard in a long while! You think I need your protection?”

Jim shook his head.

“I'm only trying to cover all possibilities, Oswald. He's out there and he's in hiding and planning god knows what - and I'd hate for you or your family to get caught up in it. I'd sooner have the underworld run by you than see the city torn apart by him.”

Oswald had felt the icy cold hands of death wrap about his throat at the memory of what Velaska had done to him last time – but Jim knew nothing of it and never would, so he kept up the pretence of finding the whole situation highly amusing.

“As if Penguin needs protection!” he said, and laughed again, “Oh Jim, go back to work. Go and look for Velaska, but leave me out of this. If he has any sense at all he will be far from the city by now. I suggest you extend your search beyond Gotham. And he most likely is behind the attack on... what was that place called?”

“Shutter Island,” Jim replied.

“Yes, he probably did that too,” Oswald replied, “And while I may be influential in the underworld, I am also a businessman who puts the interests of this city first in all my dealings. I have no interest in the whereabouts or activities of the destructive lunatic Jeremiah Velaska! Now if that is all, I have a working day to get on with too. Thank you for your offer, but my security is adequate. Have a nice day, Jim. And I hope you catch the bastard soon.”

“So do I,” Jim replied, “Take care Oswald.”

“I always do,” Oswald said with a crafty smile as he watched Jim walk away and head back to his car.

As he closed the front door, Oswald turned to Molly as amusement danced in his eyes.

“He thinks Velaska is behind the raid on Ashecliffe! Oh, this is too wonderful! They'll charge him with mass murder if they find him!”

“Better him than you,” Molly said as she hugged him tightly, “Oh Christ almighty, for a moment there I thought you'd been caught!”

Molly sounded tearful and Oswald pulled back, looking at her in surprise. It was unlike Molly to get upset so easily.

“Oh no my dear, you know I am very powerful and well organised. You don't have to fear for me when it comes to the law.”

“But I did, just for a moment.”

Oswald smiled.

“He came here alone. No one would attempt to arrest me alone, Molly...” all amusement faded from his gaze as he saw real concern in her eyes.

“Molly? What are you so afraid of? It's most unlike you! Tell me, what are you afraid of?”

“Losing you,” she said quietly, “Not in a gang war or an assassination attempt... I know you're covered, like you said – it's the thought of everything falling down around us... you being locked away from me and Cain...”

“That will never happen!” he said firmly, then he drew her into a tight embrace, _“Never!”_ he repeated as he silently felt the same flicker of unease, as old fears returned to haunt him, memories of incarceration - at times with no hope of escape. He drew back and looked into her eyes.

“The only concern I have is finding Valeska,” he told her, “That's purely to even up the score – I fully intend to kill him for what he did to me. This is why I want to find him before the cops get there. But, knowing they want to blame him for Shutter Island, I can honestly say it wouldn't be so bad if they did find him first. I know he would be held responsible for my crime.”

“So let them find him, and you forget about him. Oswald, I don't want you in any more danger than you have to be! You're my husband, you have a family now, you're Cain and River's father and you have to remember that – don't take risks for the hell of it! Leave Valeska to the cops.”

“I can't sit back and do nothing,” he replied, “My revenge has waited long enough. If he's still out there, if he's still alive – I want his blood.”

Molly gave a sigh as she looked into the eyes of the man she loved.

“If you find him before the cops do and it gets nasty, if he gets the upper hand again, I swear _I'll_ kill him before he gets the chance to lay his hands on you again!”

“Trust me Molly, it's different now,” Oswald told her, “This time, I will make him pay!”

 

River had finished her coffee and as Oswald and Molly entered the kitchen, she set a glass of milk in front of Cain as he ate his breakfast.

“I just fixed Cain 's breakfast, now I'm going to get dressed and get ready to leave for work.”

“Baby Fish...”

She had reached the door and as she looked back at her father, she still looked tired from the night before.

“What, Dad?”

Oswald smiled.

“I heard the good news about you and Victor. I fully approve.”

His words brought a smile to her face.

“Thank you, Dad,” she said, and smiled back at him, “I'm glad you have no objection.”

“I have known him for many years,” Oswald replied, “I couldn't think of a finer man to keep my daughter safe. I know he will always protect you.”

Her eyes sparkled and suddenly all her tiredness was gone.

“He's meeting me after work!” she said excitedly, then she left the kitchen with a smile on her face.

 

An hour later, River had left the house - but she was too early for work, and the clinic was not her destination. Instead she drove across the city to the house of Hugo Strange, and when she rang the bell he greeted her warmly.

“River!” he exclaimed, “What a wonderful surprise, please do come in!”

She stepped inside and he closed the door and led her through to a luxurious front room, where he invited her to sit and then asked if she would like some tea.

“I prefer to stand,” she said, and then he noticed the cold edge to her voice.

Strange turned from the window and looked at River, who was regarding him with an icy gaze that reminded him much of her father – right before he killed someone...

“Is there a problem, River?”

She took in a breath and let it out slowly, then adjusted her monocle as she looked hard at him. The more she looked at him like that, the less he saw the Penguin glare and saw the Fish Mooney stare instead... something was definitely _very_ wrong...

“A problem?” River said, “Well, I need help with a patient of mine – Julian Lambrick. He's currently recovering from his mistreatment at Ashecliffe. But as you know, he won't live long due to the damage they inflicted on him. I am determined to save him, with or without your help -”

“Oh River,” he said kindly, “You can't save everyone! I've seen his scans. Even if you cleaned out the toxins from the brain tissue and then repaired the damage, he would be revived with the scars to his brain intact. He's already been the subject of experiments. Some of that damage can't be undone. He would certainly live, he could be revived – but with brain damage. I don't revive patients that can't make a full recovery.”

“Is that because your reputation comes first?” she asked coldly, and as she stepped closer, that look in her eyes was _definitely_ one that reminded him of the late Fish Mooney...

“So it's an ego thing, is it?” River asked, “Patients revived by your hand have to be perfect or it's a job badly done? “ rage burned in her eyes, _“Who are you to say who gets to live and who dies? Yes, he's damaged! I know it's never going to be perfect for him, but he's already rebuilding his life, he wants to live!”_

Strange said nothing, staring at River as he saw a rage in her that he had never before witnessed.

“I need to plan for this,” she stated, “I need an agent that will clean the brain tissue of toxins post mortem and cause the least amount of damage. I have enough tissue regenerating formula to repair the worst of the damage and then I can revive him. I've been working on this, I can make two incisions in the skull with minimal invasive technique and go in through old scar tissue, through the skull and point A can flush one side of the brain, point B can flush the other and point C can drain it out. Then I can inject the regenerative agent through the incisions and close him up and a single shot to the base of the brain with the revival formula will bring him back. I have this worked out! I just need the correct cleansing agent. And I need it today, so I can store it for when the time comes to use it.”

Strange looked at her and shook his head.

“You will be reviving a patient who will have to live with many problems, River! All of the current issues he has will still be there – with possibly more on top of those! He will have to live with brain damage. It's not possible to make this perfect.”

“He doesn't want perfect, he just wants to keep his life!”

Strange gave a sigh.

“It would go against everything I believe in to revive a patient with irreversible damage. You're forgetting that I only use revival techniques on those who can have a good quality of life, a _better_ quality than before!”

“And you're forgetting I'm the daughter of Fish Mooney. _I'm also the daughter of Penguin, the man YOU tortured in Arkham!_ ”

Her hand was shaking as she raised a concealed gun. A tear ran down her face as her aim wavered in her shaking hand.

“ _You hurt my Dad!”_

Strange raised his hands slowly, fully aware River was not in the habit of carrying a gun, but the fact that she was Penguin's daughter meant she could easily pick one up at home. She was also very distraught, and that shaky aim of hers made him far more nervous than her threat to kill him.

“We both know you won't shoot me,” he said cautiously, “You're not a killer, River. You save lives, you do not take them.”

“And today could be an exception to my rule!” she said tearfully, “I want that cleansing agent.”

“And I shall give it to you, “ Strange replied, “Just put the gun away, River! Yes, I put your father through painful treatment many years ago in Arkham – I was misguided, I believed I could cure his criminal urges. But believe me when I say I have made amends for my actions.”

She looked at him doubtfully.

“ _I don't believe you.”_

“Then you will have to take my word for it,” he replied, “I did a favour for your father – I went against my own ethics to do it, and the results were far from perfect - but I did make amends and Oswald is someone I consider a friend! Now please, put the gun away. You can have the cleansing agent.”

River lowered the gun, and Strange flinched as she clumsily put the safety on, then she shoved it back in her pocket.

“What did you do for him?”

“I merely carried out a request. It was a long time ago and the last person who dared to speak of it was found floating in the Gotham river. I shall say no more on the matter. It was a confidential matter and no living soul knows about it apart from me – and your father, of course. And possibly those who guard the secret well... I suggest you stay silent, too. _Never ask him!_ Now, you wanted that cleansing agent?”

“Yes, I do want it, please...” she said quietly, and as she followed him from the room and down the hallway and into a laboratory, she was still wondering what Strange had done for her father that was such a carefully guarded secret...

Strange opened up a locked cabinet and drew out a glass bottle of clear liquid. He checked the labelling and then handed it to her.

“You can store it at room temperature. Dilute with one part saline and don't flush it through the tissue for more than twenty seconds. And of course, do this before you revive the patient.”

“Thank you, Hugo,” she said as she put the bottle in her pocket, then as they left the room together, he led her back down the hallway towards the front door.

“I'm sorry about the gun.”

Strange laughed.

“I expected it sooner or later – that act of aggression was your mother coming out in you. The heartfelt apology you just made was one hundred percent your father! We shall say no more about this. And I hope we can still be friends – or at least, agreeable colleagues.”

“You taught me everything I know, I will always be grateful for that,” River replied.

Strange opened the front door.

“I still don't approve of what you're planning,” he replied, “But maybe you're right - I do aim for my idea of perfection. Perhaps I aim too high. I just hope if the revival is successful, your father and the rest of the family are prepared to accept that Julian will never make a full recovery.”

“We just want to save him,” River replied, “And we haven't known him long, but we all care for him very much. He will always have a home with my father. Thank you for helping me.”

“Thank you for putting the gun away!” he remarked.

For a moment they looked at each other saying no more, then River spoke again and her tone was one of apology once more.

“I'm sure we can put this behind us and move on. It's going to take time. I love my Dad so very much, Hugo.”

He nodded.

“That is very clear to see,” he assured her, “And if you ever need my advice regarding your patients, I'm still here for you, just call.”

“I'll do that,” she replied, then Strange closed the door and she walked back to her car.

All he had said was still on her mind, even as she headed back through the city on her way to work at the clinic:

_What favour had Strange done for her father that had been kept such a heavily guarded secret all these years?_

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 

River had shaken off her tiredness by the time she had reached the clinic. She felt a sense of victory as she locked away the cleansing agent in the safe along with other vials of chemicals she had stored in preparation for Julian's treatment. Then she got on with her day, putting the confrontation with Strange to the back of her mind even though she still wondered exactly what he had meant when he had said he had done that secret favour for her father. _Her Dad had a secret of some kind and no one knew? Not even his own family? Maybe it was crime related. Maybe it was something that was insignificant now, lost to the mists of time and no longer of any relevance..._ But she still wondered about it.

River saw patients, updated records and files and then had lunch, saw more patients, and then as the time moved on towards the end of the working day, she smiled as she looked at the clock: _Not long to go until Victor met her after work..._ She was excited already. They were yet to make plans on where to go or what to do. As far as River was concerned, she had waited so long for Victor that she would happily drag him back upstairs to the upper floor of the clinic and take him in her arms and replay the night before, but this time, there would be no holding back...

When she had seen her last patient, she had half an hour to finish up for the day before she locked up and left. She could barely concentrate on work and eventually, she put it all aside and took a mirror from her purse and checked her hair and reapplied some mascara, then she smiled back at her reflection in the small round glass with a sparkle in her eyes: _At last, the man of her dreams was about to walk through that door and their adventure was about to begin. She felt like she had waited all her life for this moment..._

 

Back at the house, Iris and Julian had spent most of the day upstairs. Given their new and very obvious closeness, Oswald didn't need to think too hard to imagine what they might be doing up there. But Julian's time was limited and his future was uncertain and as long as he was happy, that was what mattered most.

Then, just as Oswald was thinking about having a quiet hour in the study with a quick drink before the house descended into the usual happy family chaos, his cell phone rang. He took it from his pocket and looked at the number, not recognising it. He knew he had a business meeting tomorrow with the gang leaders, but that was a regular meeting and so far it was quiet out there, the underworld was peaceful, Valeska had gone to ground and there was nothing out of the ordinary about today. But it was still unusual for a strange number to call him...

“Hello,” he said, and his voice echoed about the hallway of the mansion as he stood there in silence waiting for the caller to respond.

“Is that you, Oswald? Your voice has barely changed. Although I hear you're much fatter than you used to be.”

Oswald's eyes shone with rage. It had nothing to do with the remark about his weight gain that had crept up over the years, but everything to do with the fact that he had just been insulted by the man who had put Julian in Ashecliffe and left him there to die... Shepard Lambrick continued to speak.

“I was just looking up... family? I'm not quite sure that term is accurate, Oswald. I come from a fine family and you're just the illegitimate son of a penniless immigrant, and I happened to have the misfortune to have once been married to her sister. No matter. This is just a call to inform you Ashecliffe asylum was attacked.”

“What the hell does that have to do with me?” Oswald said angrily.

“Nothing, I hope – but my son Julian is missing. He was a patient there for several years. I sincerely hope no one is hiding him because he's _very_ dangerous.”

Oswald gripped the phone so hard his knuckles went white as he wished he could reach down that phone and rip out Shepard's guts with his bare hands.

“Why is your son dangerous, Shepard?” he asked coldly.

Shepard laughed.

“It's more an embarrassment, really. He's showed violent tendencies in the past. He also tried to rape a young lady at a dinner party. I can't have behaviour like that soiling the family name.”

“And why did he do that?” Oswald asked.

“Something to do with a treatment going wrong at Ashecliffe. So I sent him back there, I figured they may as well keep him!”

“And now he's missing, you're worried? Why would you worry, Shepard?”

“I'm not concerned!” he said defensively, “Not for Julian.”

“For yourself, perhaps? Why would that be?” Oswald demanded.

There was a pause. Oswald's blood was boiling with rage. _Of course Shepard was worried – he knew there was a risk Julian would talk and expose him to the world..._

“My only concern is finding my son,” he replied, “He is still my son, no matter what he has done to humiliate this family.”

“How compassionate,” Oswald said, making no attempt to hide the sarcastic tone of his voice, “Well, I can't help you, Shepard. I know absolutely nothing about your family or its circumstances. I don't know if you're aware I'm now married with a family of my own?”

Shepard laughed.

“I can't help but wonder what kind of woman looked at you with your fat ass and your crippled leg and thought you might be a fine catch! Or did your bank balance capture her heart?”

Oswald was shaking with rage. He had taken these insults silently, knowing if he let his emotions spill over, Shepard might grow suspicious.

“Nothing to say? Well, it's just banter, Oswald. You know I don't mean anything by it. Are you still running the underworld in that little city of yours?”

“I most certainly am.”

“I've always thought of Gotham as an odd place,”Shepard replied, “A city on an island, cut off from the rest of the world. I'm surprised they ever bothered rebuilding the bridges after the war,” he chuckled, “You must be one big crowd of inbred strangeness! Your mother's sister was certainly strange. Like your mother, and you. But I guess that's down to class. That's something that can't be bought. Just like good breeding.”

“Wouldn't you be better off spending your time looking for your son?” Oswald said sharply, “His disappearance has nothing to do with me!”

Shepard paused again. Then as he spoke, Oswald was surprised to hear a trace of anxiety in his voice.

“No matter what he has done, he is still my son - _mine!_ ” he said firmly, “And if all other possibilities are excluded and I am left with you as a suspect, believe me, I will see to it that you don't get away with this.”

Oswald had just figured it out. Shepard wasn't just concerned Julian might talk about what went on at Ashecliffe – he was enraged to think there was a possibility someone had stolen something that belonged to him. He saw Julian as his property. Now Oswald knew _exactly_ what he was going to do to Shepard Lambrick... _Revenge would certainly be sweet..._ As he gave his reply, his eyes burned like cold fire as a sly smile came to his face.

“You can be sure I have nothing to do with your son's disappearance. I have better things to do, Shepard. _Like running my empire on my tiny inbred city island!_ ”

“Oswald, if I even suspect you are hiding Julian, I will do this by the book. I will inform the police.”

“And so you should, Shepard,” Oswald replied, “Now, I have a busy day and much to get on with – I'm going to end this call. I hope you find your son.”

“You'd better hope I do find him,” he replied darkly, and the call ended.

For a brief moment as he glared at his phone, Oswald's face was a mask of rage, then he drew in a breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew what to do, and he was going to set the wheels in motion today...

“Penguin, is everything okay?”

Victor had just joined him, and he stood there in light blue jeans and a white shirt and his back leather jacket, as the smell of cologne filled the hallway and almost matched Oswald's with its expensive scent.

“No it is not!” Oswald said, “That was Shepard Lambrick. He's beginning to suspect there's a chance I might be involved with Julian's disappearance. Apparently he's looking into other possibilities first – he probably thinks there's a chance he broke out and drowned at sea... I don't think he's linked me to the attack on Shutter Island yet. But I know what to do about him. _I'm calling in a favour. A big one._ ”

Victor's eyes widened in surprise.

“ _That_ one? But what if you need it some day?”

Oswald thought about his powerful connections and then shook his head.

“Now I have a family, there's no chance I'd ever want to disappear and start a new life without them, Victor. I shall give this favour to Julian. With one phone call I can set the wheels in motion to change his identity....” then Oswald started to smile, “But there will be _so_ much more to it, Victor. I'm going to re write history. His _and_ mine. _By the time my powerful contact has done their magic, Julian Lambrick will no longer exist. But Julian Cobblepot will._ ”

“Have you told Julian about this?”

“Not yet, I'm about to go up and speak to him now.”

Victor smiled.

“It's a great idea, I hope he agrees to it.”

Oswald smiled too.

“I'm sure he will,” he replied.

Victor checked the time.

“I'd better get going – I'm off to meet Baby Fish.”

“I hope you both enjoy your afternoon,” Oswald said.

“Thanks, Penguin – we will!” said Victor, then he hurried out the door.

Oswald turned towards the stairway and began to make his way up, knowing he needed to make that call today - this couldn't wait now Shepard was suspicious. He just hoped Julian would go along with the plan...

 

As he reached Julian's door, Oswald hesitated, pausing to listen for sounds that might indicate this could be a bad time. He certainly didn't want to walk in and find the two of them making love...

He tapped on the door politely. Iris said a soft _Come in_ , and he opened the door and went into the bedroom. Iris was on top of the covers with Julian, they were sitting together and the TV was on low volume as Julian slept with his head on her shoulder.

“What is it, Oswald?” she whispered.

He felt an ache in his heart as he looked at Julian. It was clear he was trying so hard to recover from all he had been through, and knowing that recovery wouldn't last made him sadder than he cared to show.

“I'm sorry, but this is important. I need to speak to him right now,” he said.

“But he's sleeping!”

“Now, please?” Oswald repeated, and Iris gently patted his cheek and said his name and Julian woke up and raised his head, blinking away sleep as he looked at her and then Oswald with a confused expression.

“What?” he said, sounding tired.

“Something has happened,” Oswald explained, “And you have nothing to fear – but I have to do something important and I need your permission, Julian.”

As he sat up, Iris moved over and Oswald sat on the edge of the bed looking intently at him.

“Your adopted father called me today. He was the same arrogant, despicable, rude individual I recall from my aunt's funeral. And he doesn't suspect you're here - yet. But it's a process of elimination and eventually, he will work out I'm hiding you. So here's what I'm going to do about it: I know a lot of very powerful contacts and when they owe me favours, I save them up until I really need to use them. I'm calling in a favour from someone who can wipe every official record of your existence away, they can make Julian Lambrick no longer exist. And here's the clever part – they can write you a _new_ history.”

Julian stared at him.

“So officially I won't exist as a Lambrick?”

“That's right. My source is _very_ powerful. They can rewrite my past, they can set up a back story and change official records and data and everything else you can think of. I'm going to set up a fictional story that looks real – I'm going to have part of my own past rewritten on paper, on file, on computer data – everything possible – proving you are _my_ son, Julian Cobblepot.”

Julian's eyes shone with delight as he laughed.

“You can really do that?”

Oswald smiled as he nodded.

“Yes – well, not me personally, but someone very powerful who owes me a big favour certainly can.”

Iris looked confused as she thought about his idea.

“But what about Julian's mother? How are you going to get around that part?”

“My contact will go through archives of deaths and find a Jane Doe and alter the ID and put a few details on it and his fictional mother will come up as deceased. Don't worry about anything. I've come up with a brilliant and convincing story to cover everything!”

“What about people who knew me before?” Julian asked.

“As I said, my contact is powerful. Anyone who knew you will have a visit and it will be explained that they have no choice but to stay silent. Perhaps threats will be used, sometimes financial incentive is involved – it's a big project but very simple for my contact to arrange. And this is the only time I can ask this favour. It was something I'd once held back for myself, should I need to disappear – but now I have a family, I wouldn't want to take that option. So I'm giving this to you, Julian. In the eyes of the law, you will be _my_ son.”

Julian had grasped all he had said, and emotion had taken over from the need to ask questions as he hugged him tightly.

“Thanks, Uncle Oz!” he said gratefully.

Oswald gave him a tight hug and then let go again.

“There's one more thing,” he added, and his smile faded as he struggled not to let his emotion show. This was a painful subject, but he had to bring it up now...

“While I'm setting this up, it's the best time to ask you something important. I know you're okay – for now – but later on, when you get sick, you might not be able to say what you want regarding your treatment -”

“I know what River wants to do, I've already said yes,” Julian replied.

“Okay, that's good,” Oswald briefly looked downward as he blinked away tears, then he drew in a breath and met his gaze once more, “I need to know who you would prefer to make decisions for you when you get sick, and when you pass away and all the stuff regarding the process to bring you back. Who do you want to make those choices for you, Julian?”

He didn't need to think about it, and answered right away.

“You and River.”

Oswald nodded.

“Okay, thank you for telling me that. Hopefully everything will go to plan, River knows what she's doing, I have faith in her.”

“So do I,” Julian agreed, then he laughed, “So can I call you Dad when all this ID stuff is sorted out?”

Oswald blinked away tears as he smiled.

“If you want to do that, I would be honoured to call you son. I always wished I could have adopted you,” he replied, and then he hugged him again.

As Oswald let go, a sudden look of panic came to Julian's eyes as he felt briefly confused.

“My dad – I mean Shepard – he can't make go back to Ashecliffe, can he? I'm not going back there!”

Iris put her hand on his back and gently rubbed it.

“Shh, no, that won't happen, listen to Oswald,” she said softly.

“Julian, he will have no say in your life ever again,” Oswald assured him, “Do you understand that? You're safe now.”

“Do you promise?” Julian asked.

“Yes I do,” Oswald said, “I promise, Julian. Everything will be okay.”

 

Molly had left to pick Cain up from school. April was staying at a friend's house that night on the other side of the city, so she just had the one school to visit and she had expected the journey to be simple, but the traffic was heavy that day. She got there just in time as the bell rang and the kids began to spill out of the open doors. Cain waved goodbye to his friends and got into the car and Molly made sure he was securely strapped into the back seat before she got back in and then started the engine.

“Did you have a good day today?” she asked as they pulled out of the parking space and drove away.

Cain smiled and as his blue eyes sparkled, she saw a mini Oswald sitting there as he clutched a colourful painting in his hand.

“We had story time today,” he said, and then his eyes narrowed and he suddenly looked like a miniature, angry Oswald, “But no one believed me!”

They turned a corner and headed towards the road that led to the highway.

“No one believed you about what, Cain?” Molly asked.

“They said fairy tales are stories and they're not real. I said they are!”

Molly laughed.

“Well,” she said, “We don't want the big bad wolf to be real, or scary giants, or nasty witches, do we!”

“But fairies are nice, and so are good witches. And so is Sleeping Beauty.”

“Yes, some characters are very nice,” Molly replied, “I always liked Cinderella. I wanted to marry a prince when I grew up, and then I did, I married Daddy!”

Cain laughed.

“Daddy is like a prince because we live in a palace, and he loves you!” he said.

“Yes he does, sweetheart,” Molly said fondly.

The traffic was moving slow, but she didn't mind, not while she had Cain to chat with about school and his other delightful observations. Then he said something that changed everything.

“Daddy knows fairy tales are real - but it's a secret.”

“What do you mean, Daddy doesn't keep secrets,” she said, still watching the flow of the traffic ahead.

“No, but sometimes he does, but it's okay. It's not a bad secret, he said so.”

Cain fell silent, looking down at his painting of a house and flowers and bright sunshine. She glanced back at him.

“I don't understand what you mean, Cain. What's this secret? You can tell Mummy.”

He hesitated.

“Sometimes after we go to the park when it's just me and Daddy, we go and see Daddy's friend.”

The traffic had started moving again. As she drove on Molly had no choice but to watch the road. Her heart had felt as if it had temporarily stopped beating. _No, Oswald loved her too much to have an affair... that was a crazy thought. There had to be anther explanation..._

“So who does Daddy go and see?”

“His friend.”

“Is it a man or a lady?”

“ _A lady.”_

She caught her breath, but focused on driving as she pushed aside suspicions that seemed crazy. _No. Oswald would not have an affair, she knew him too well. This was about something else, it had to be..._

“Well, Daddy wouldn't mind you telling me about her if she's a friend. Can you tell me about her?”

Cain paused for thought.

“Daddy doesn't see her much. He gets her presents.”

“Does he?” she said in a hushed voice, “Like what, Cain?”

He thought about it.

“He gets her perfume. He sprays it on her. Sometimes he paints her nails. He talks to her about the old days.”

Molly frowned. This didn't exactly sound like an affair and she was relieved about that, but it sounded very strange indeed...

“And what does she say to him?”

“Nothing, she can't speak.”

The traffic was slow again. She glanced back at Cain.

“What do you mean?”

Cain looked at her.

“She's like Sleeping Beauty. But Daddy said she will never wake up. He said he has to look after her.”

Molly shook her head as she tried to make sense of it, but everything Cain said made little sense because he was only five years old and clearly, Oswald had not said a great deal about the situation. _This was something he had never told her about. Maybe he had told no one, ever... Why? As soon as she got home, she would be having a private talk with her husband about this matter. He had no reason to keep anything from his family, especially not his own wife, did he think she would not understand that he was visiting a sick friend?_

“Where does she live, Cain?”

“In a little cottage in the woods. Nurses look after her and so does a man with a gun. I think he is security, like we have Uncle Victor to guard us.”

“What's her name?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“I don't know. Sleeping Beauty?”

“Is she pretty?”

“Yes.”

The traffic had started moving again.

“Has Daddy ever said anything about talking to me about his friend?”

“He said he wanted to tell everyone but it happened a long time ago and she's safe in the woods. He said...” Cain paused for thought, “There is nothing to gain by telling anyone, I don't know what that means.”

Molly was starting to make sense of it now. Clearly, who ever she was, she had meant something to him long ago – before they had married, most likely, even before before the war. This was an old friend and for some reason, he didn't want anyone to know she was alive. Maybe it was an old gangland situation, that was her conclusion now...

“ _Oh Oswald, you should have told me, love...”_ she murmured as the traffic moved again and the car moved with it.

“So she's always sleeping, she never wakes up?” Molly asked.

“She never wakes up,” Cain confirmed, “Daddy said before I was born he got hurt really bad in an accident and had to have all this stuff to help him breathe, but then he got better and he was okay.”

That remark made her catch her breath. It certainly hadn't been an accident, he was talking about the time he spent on life support after Jeremiah Velaska almost killed him...

“Yes, that's right, Cain,” she said as she focused on the road and tried to block out painful memories of those dark days, “It's called life support.”

“That's what she has,” Cain added, “Daddy said she can't live without it. But Sleeping Beauty in the story doesn't have all that stuff around her bed.”

“No, she doesn't,” Molly agreed as she blinked away tears and thought of Oswald and wondered how many years he had devoted to such a tragic situation, “Cain, I'm glad you told me about this. I think Daddy has been keeping a very hard and very sad secret for a long time, even longer than I've known him. And when we get home, I'm going to talk to him about it so he can share it with me - because he doesn't have to keep this to himself.”

The traffic eased up and Molly drove on as her heart ached for Oswald and the tragic secret he had kept to himself for far too long.

 

As Victor parked his car outside River's clinic, he looked about the street, then across the other side of it and the odd thought crossed his mind that there were a _lot_ of clown face types about today... He looked across the street again, saw two more of them walking in the opposite direction, and then he shook his head, maybe the cult of Jerome were having one of their gatherings... It didn't mean anything, maybe he had just seen too many years of trouble and looked for it everywhere he went. Gotham was the kind of city where trouble happened every day, and right now, he knew he ought to be focusing on his big moment. He was about to go in and meet Baby Fish... That thought brought a smile to his face as he got out of the car and turned towards the clinic doorway.

River was waiting for him as he stepped inside.

“Good afternoon, Victor,” she said, flashing a smile as he smiled back and felt his face flush. She had left off her jacket, she had opened the first few buttons on her blouse to give a glimpse of a lace bra beneath it. Her eyes sparkled with warmth and as he closed the door behind him, she hurried over and locked it.

“I've been thinking about you all day!” she said, and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with passion that stole his breath.

“Slow down, River... I wanted to take you away from here and -”

“Oh no, I've waited long enough for you!” she said, grabbing his hand and tugging on it as she led him through to the corridor and then to the stairway, “After seeing you naked yesterday there's _no_ way I'm letting you go anywhere!” she added, and her hands slid to his hips as they shared another kiss.

As he pulled back, Victor laughed softly.

“Okay, you've got me. My defences are down, Baby Fish!”

She grabbed his hand once more and led him up the stairs. They reached the room at the top and kissed again as they paused by the open door, then River led him inside and over to the bed.

Watching her strip off her clothing was mesmerising, her intense gaze didn't leave his, making Victor feel clumsy with his own clothing as he rushed to undress.

“You don't have to be gentle,” she said as her eyes darkened with desire, “Just because I've never had a lover it doesn't mean I'm inexperienced... I've used sex toys, I fantasise all the time and I come every single day and while I'm coming, I think of you!”

“Oh wow...” It was all Victor could think to say as he took her in his arms and they fell back on the bed together.

For a brief moment they just looked into each other's eyes, then as they kissed again and their kiss deepened into passion, River breathlessly pushed his hand between her legs. She was wet and warm and grinding her hips against his erection and it was almost too much to take.

“Make me come!” she gasped, and as he allowed her to guide him as he caressed her firmly, she gave a gasp and the look on her face made his heart race.

“Harder... that's it... keep going.... _Oh, Victor!_ ” She throbbed and shuddered and his fingertips were soaked and as she went limp in his arms, he kissed her again.

“Now it's my turn,” he whispered, “And I _will_ be gentle, because I want to be. I love you, River Mooney.”

“I love you too -”

Her words were stolen away by a gasp as he thrust carefully, slowly, then harder, as he entered her body for the first time. True to her word, he felt no resistance, no virginal tightness and she certainly felt no pain as she clung to him and urged him onward, as she said _Take me, Victor,_ he felt overwhelmed with the passion of the moment as he began to move against her and she welcomed his every thrust as she moved with him. It was close, impatient love making full of soft gasps of breath and whispered words of love and then, of passion. As Victor lost control, he held her tighter, coming with a soft gasp as he buried his face in her shoulder and said her name. Then they lay together breathing hard, still holding on, and when they separated, River looked into his eyes and smiled.

“I'm glad I don't have another to compare you to,” she said, “Because you're the only one I'll ever want.”

As he lay beside her and she took hold of his hand, he was sure he had never felt so relaxed, so completely right with anyone before. They felt as if they fitted together perfectly in every way. One of life's surprises had just happened – they had both found love when neither had been expecting it, and it had turned out to be something that they both knew would be the start of a long and happy... _something_.

“It's okay that you don't want to marry again,” River said as she held his hand and smiled, “I'm sort of married to my career anyway. I'm Doc Baby Fish. It means a lot to me. I can't ever see myself giving that up.”

“And I'm Victor Zsasz, and I work for Penguin and I can't see myself giving that up, either.”

“I save lives for a living.”

“And I kill people!” Victor laughed.

“And somewhere, we meet in the middle and we have us, and that's just fine by me, it's better than fine - it's perfect,” River told him, and Victor replied with a kiss.

And then a boom echoed from somewhere outside that shook the building as a window cracked. They drew apart, Victor got out of bed and reached for his clothing.

“What the hell was that?” River said, reaching for her monocle and then getting up and grabbing her clothing. She looked to the window and saw the glass was cracked. Victor was half dressed now as he pulled back the curtain. They both stared at the sight of glowing flames in the distance and thick smoke rising. The street up ahead was littered with rubble and car alarms were screaming, blending in with the sound of other alarms from nearby buildings as in the distance, sirens wailed.

“It must have been a bomb!” Victor said in surprise.

“In Gotham? In these peaceful times? Oh my god...”

River began to get dressed faster. By now Victor had finished dressing and he holstered his guns. River had slipped on her boots and reached for her jacket, she pulled it on and then checked the pocket, and Victor's eyes registered alarm as he saw she had a gun.

“Why the hell are carrying a piece, River?”

“Oh, it's no big deal. I threatened Hugo Strange -”

“ _You did what?”_

“It's okay now. Minor disagreement… I need my medical bag...” she hurried from the room and as she took to the stairway, Victor hurried down after her and caught up with her as she reached the door that led to the street.

“Wait for me!”

She adjusted her monocle and looked up at him.

“I'm a doctor, there are injured people out there! I need to help them. It's what I do!”

“And I'm coming with you!” he reminded her.

They stepped outside. The skies above were barely visible as thick smoke curled down the street and beyond it, wrecked buildings were close by, rubble littered the ground, chunks of masonry had fallen, smashing and denting cars. Here and there blood pooled on the street where debris had crushed passers by. People staggered about in a haze of smoke and dust, coughing, calling out to lost loved ones. It was a scene of carnage and by the looks of it, the devastation stretched on quite a distance...

River was about to head into the bomb site, but Victor grabbed her arm.

“Wait! We don't know what did this. It could be an act of terrorism. Remember they haven't caught Velaska yet!”

“And it might be a ruptured gas main,” she reminded him.

“Just let me call Penguin. He needs to know you're safe.”

Victor took his phone from his pocket, making the call as River's attention was turned towards the sound of the wounded crying for help. Somewhere a child was wailing. She made a note that would be her first patient. That child sounded terrified...

“Penguin!” Victor said urgently as the call was answered, “There's been an explosion – a short distance from River's clinic.”

“ _A bomb?”_ Oswald said in alarm.

“Yes, but River's fine, I'm fine too and she's about to go and see if she can help the wounded... I'm going with her.”

“Put her on the phone!”

“Okay, boss.”

Victor passed the phone to River.

“Dad?” she said.

Oswald spoke again, and sounded desperately worried.

“Please be careful, Baby Fish! There could be a secondary bomb planted somewhere... and the rubble and the debris could still be falling...”

“Dad, I'm fine. I'm a doctor, I need to do my job out here. Don't worry about me, I'll be back later.”

“But I do worry, my dear. I love you, Baby Fish.”

“I love you too, Dad, I'll see you soon.” River ended the call and handed the phone back to Victor, then turned towards the nearby scene of carnage.

“Let's go,” she said, “I realise I can't help them all – but I'm going to try my best!”

 

Molly had just freed the car from the choking traffic, taking a turn off that led into the city, they had cut through the back streets and then turned for the road that ran through central Gotham when up ahead, a boom had sounded that shook the road as further up, cars had skidded to a halt and other cars had collided into them with crashes of metal on metal and the shattering of glass.

“ _Hold on tight, Cain!”_ she yelled, then Molly slammed on the brakes, swerving sharply to avoid another collision as the car came to a sharp stop at the end of the street, half mounted on the pavement.

She sat there for a moment, watching as up ahead, smoke rose and she could see the glow of flames reflecting from the next turning. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly and as her face paled and she trembled as she felt adrenaline course through her veins:

 _She had guessed she was looking at the aftermath of a bomb. The name Valeska ran through her mind, then she remembered her five year old son was in the back of the car..._ She turned off the engine, took off her seat belt and then looked back at her son. Cain was sitting there wide eyed and looking pale.

“Mommy I'm scared...” he said in a small voice.

Molly looked at him knowingly.

“There's nothing to be scared of, son. And I know what a sly little fox you can be when you want to! You can break out of that seat when I'm not looking. Now get your belt unlocked and climb into the front with me... hurry up!”

As Cain started to fumble with the seat belt, Molly looked about, saw nothing but smoke and the glow of fire close by, and ducked down, reaching under the seat. As Cain scrambled into the front and joined her, he gave a gasp.

“Mommy, you've got a gun!”

“It's Daddy's spare one,” she said, and as she paused to admire the piece, she murmured, _“A 429 Desert Eagle - .44 caliber, semi automatic... fully loaded...”_ she reached under the seat again, _“And a spare cartridge. Good choice, Oswald...”_

She checked the weapon and shoved it in her back pocket, then she shoved the spare cartridge into her other pocket.

“Why do we need a gun, Mommy?” Cain sounded scared.

“Because we don't know why there's trouble up ahead and I might have to protect us,” she said, then she reached for her phone and quickly called home.

“Molly, are you still caught in the traffic on the highway? There's been a bombing in central Gotham -”

“I know, we almost ran into it.”

“ _What?”_ Oswald said in alarm, “Wait there - I'm coming to get you...I'll send a car, armed protection too -”

“No, there's no need!” Molly said firmly, “We came off the highway because the traffic was bad. We cut through town and the bomb went off, it's somewhere up ahead of us. I'm leaving the car and I'm walking with Cain. I'm going down to the river and cutting around the trouble and grabbing a taxi. I can't drive through this. It's okay. I'll get Cain home. You stay there, we won't be long.”

“Be careful!” Oswald sounded anxious.

Molly smiled.

“It's okay, love – I found your new toy under the passenger seat. It's nice and light for a powerful piece, too. And perfect in case we have any trouble. But I'm sure we'll be fine. I'll get our son home safely. I'll see you soon. And _don't_ worry!”

“But Molly I do worry -”

“I love you Oswald, we'll be home soon,” she added, then she ended the call.

As she put the phone away she drew her keys from the ignition, checked the view of the road up ahead, then opened up the door and got out, urging her son to hurry. Cain jumped down from the car and she closed the door and locked it, put the keys in her pocket and grabbed his hand, then they ran across the street, as she led him around a mess of wrecked cars and fallen debris.

As they neared the smoke, they came to the end of the road and Molly coughed, then looked right and saw bodies crushed beneath fallen masonry. There was a corpse trailing guts and sliced in half that lay in broken glass from a blown out shop front, two more bodies were streaked with blood and resting against a wall where they had landed after the blast. Molly stepped in front of Cain to block the view, stripped off her jacket and handed it to him.

“Cover your face,” she ordered, “And your eyes and _don't_ look until I say so!”

Cain looked up at her confused as he held her jacket.

“But I won't be able to see where I'm going, Mommy!”

“Do as I say!” she said firmly, “And stay low, smoke rises... I'll lead you, I won't let you fall.”

He was still looking up at her, wondering why he had to cover his eyes.

“Do it!” she said sharply, and he quickly obeyed, throwing the jacket over his head as she grabbed his hand.

“Just walk quickly, I'm in front of you. That's right. Head down, don't look... stay covered, keep walking...follow Mummy...”

Molly looked towards the carnage, beyond the smoke that darkened the view of the city, flames flickered close by. They crossed the street, then took the turn that led towards the river. As she saw armed men with hellish clown painted faces heading up towards them, she pulled back on Cain's hand and the child stumbled.

“Mommy, what's going on?”

“Be quiet!” she said as she pulled him up against the wall and into shadow, “There are some bad people coming this way, they look like looters... we have to hide, quickly!”

Molly pulled her jacket away and he blinked, looking about the shadowy street and then his eyes widened as he saw the approaching crowd. Molly turned her head and looked to an abandoned car parked close to the wall.

“We have to hide under the car, and you have to be quiet. We are so close to the river, all we have to do is wait for them to pass by and we can come out and make a run for it, okay?”

Cain looked up at her with frightened eyes and nodded. Then he looked over her shoulder and all fear vanished from his gaze.

“It's Daddy's wall!” he said, and Molly glanced back to see the old bullet scarred wall with the painting of her husband in war time and the words _Penguins Army_ was written beneath it.

“That's a sign,” she promised him, “We're going to be okay. Now come with me!”

Molly dropped to the ground, then slid beneath the car and grabbed Cain's hand, as he wriggled under to join her. Then she pulled her weapon, gripping the gun in one hand as she kept her other arm around her son, holding him close. They were almost there now, a rowdy gang that looked like Velaska's people, armed with guns and knives and hammers and axes...

“ _I'm scared...”_ Cain whispered.

Molly gripped the gun harder as she watched from beneath the vehicle.

“Its okay,” she said in a low voice, “Just be as quiet as a little mouse, even if I have to start shooting, just stay with Mummy...”

Cain nodded, then he pressed his face against her as the footfalls sounded heavy on the street, and he closed his eyes to block out the sight of them as they headed their way and Molly clutched her son as she hid with the gun poised...

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 

The smoke hung thick in the air as blue flashing lights became visible in the distance. The rubble was preventing help from getting through, at least by the road. There was a weird kind of silence that was only broken by the cries of the injured. Lighting was flickering on and off in a nearby building, it was stark and white alternating with the gloom and the smell of the fire and the smell of blood. Somewhere above this chaos, the sky was either blue or a shade of rain, but for now, the devastation covered it with dust and smoke that blackened as the blaze further up the street sent flames leaping into the air. Soon dusk would be falling, and getting through this mess to save the injured would be a worsening nightmare.

But River was focused on her job as she comforted a small child and then bandaged the badly cut hand of the child's mother, who was sitting on the pavement pale and shocked.

“I think you can stand,” River said to her, “Did you hear me? You need to get up and take your daughter and go towards the blue lights. You can walk on this side of the street...” she glanced at Victor, who stood beside her, “Can you take this lady and her little girl just down there, to the other end of the street, please?”

“I don't want to leave you, Baby Fish! In case you haven't noticed, it's dangerous out here!”

River looked up at him.

“There has been an explosion. People are hurt. I'm not one of them, I'm helping them. You can leave me for five minutes, I'll be fine!”

The woman had staggered to her feet and grabbed her child's hand.

“Come with me,” Victor said, And as he led her away, he glanced back at River.

“Stay there!”

“Well I'm not planning on going anywhere else!” she said, and then she got up and stepped over a corpse laid out on the ground and placed her medical bag next to a young man with a broken arm.

“I can't help you with this,” she said, indicating up the street, “But you can walk, start walking in that direction, the paramedics are waiting up there, okay?”

The guy nodded and then she helped him to stand as he clutched at his arm and then he turned away, heading towards the other end of the street. Then she heard a gasp and a wet choking and she made her way around a chunk of masonry to see a young woman, partly crushed beneath the rubble. Blood was flowing from her mouth and her eyes were filled with panic. River knelt beside her as she took her hand, and it felt ice cold in her grip. In that moment she felt sure this was the only part of her job that she hated – when she could do nothing. The woman coughed and blood sprayed out and she gripped River's hand tightly as she stared up at her. More than half her body was crushed. She had maybe a minute left to live.

“It's okay,” River said softly as she placed a warm hand on her cold cheek, “This will be over soon, I promise. You're not alone, I will wait with you...”

The woman's fair hair was streaked with blood, her eyes were fixed on River and now that look of terror was gone as she clung to her hand and coughed again.

“It's okay,” River repeated, “Don't be scared...”

All fear drained away from the woman's eyes, as she gave a tiny gasp and then her hand slipped from her grip and she looked past River, staring lifelessly up at the smoke filled sky. River gently closed the dead woman's eyes, then she got up and looked down at the body.

“I'm so sorry I couldn't help you,” she said, and then she paused to take off her monocle and wipe her eyes, clearing away tears and the sting of the smoke.

“River?” called Victor, “Where the hell are you?”

“I'm here...” she realised she had spoken too quietly and she wiped her eyes again and put on her monocle and then raised her voice.

“I'm here, Victor.”

He heard her this time and as he made his way around the rubble, he saw the look on her face and then he saw the body on the ground, partly crushed.

“All I could give her was comfort,” River said tearfully.

“And that's better than nothing,” Victor assured her.

“It's _not_ enough!”

River sounded heartbroken and all Victor wanted to do was take her in his arms and keep her safe from the horror that surrounded her. But he knew he had no chance of persuading her to go home – she was dedicated to her job, and tonight, she knew she was needed.

“I'll stay with you all night,” he told her, “Just tell me what to do, I'll help.”

She paused for thought.

“There are some walking wounded who are still standing around... you could take them down towards the other end of the street, it's safer up there... It's hard to distinguish between the dead and the badly wounded, there's so much rubble...” she looked to the damaged buildings either side of the street, “There must be people trapped inside all around us!”

“No!” Victor placed his hands on her shoulders as he held her gaze, “You're not going in any of those buildings. That's a job for the paramedics and the fire department. If you walk in there and the ceiling caves in, you're another casualty this city doesn't need to be dealing with. Let's focus on the wounded out here in the street.”

Just then as they heard the sound of shouts and smashing glass and an exchange of gun fire, Victor gave a sigh.

“Oh great. Now we've got looters, can this day get any worse?”

River's eyes grew wide.

“Oh shit, yes it can! My clinic, I didn't lower the shutters! Victor, go back and lock up properly for me, please! If my clinic gets wrecked, I'll have to see my patients at Strange's office, I'll have to take Julian there when the time comes to treat him...”

Victor shrugged.

“So what, River? Strange would understand, there's been an explosion, the area is being looted -”

“Strange only helped me because I put a gun in his face! If I want another favour I'll be kissing his ass for months! I'm _not_ apologising to him again, not after what he did to my Dad!”

Victor gave a sigh.

“Okay, I'll secure the clinic. But you're coming with me. There's gunfire not far away and I'm not leaving you exposed to it!”

As he spoke, more shots rang out, and now they sounded closer as people screamed and those who could, dived for cover as the wounded called out for help and more glass smashed as another store front was destroyed.

“Okay, I'm coming with you,” River agreed, “But I'm not going home, not while I'm needed out here!”

As Victor led the way back down the street towards the alley that led to the next road, he took her by the hand, quickening his pace as they made their way through the smoky twilight and away from the heart of the violence.

“Maybe we can find a safer way back in,” he said, “I'll close the shutters, then we can figure out how to get back in and keep you away from the gunfire.”

“I just want to be where I'm needed,” she said.

They had reached the clinic. The street was ghostly quiet and the trouble sounded distant now. As he looked into her eyes, Victor briefly touched her cheek.

“I'll tell you where I need you to be – safe, at home!” he said.

She smiled apologetically.

“I'm sorry, Victor. There's no way I'm turning my back on the wounded, they need me.”

“And I love you for that,” he told her, then he began the task of activating the shutters and River stood back, watching as they lowered slowly, as she felt a sense of relief to know her clinic would be safe from damage. Then she heard the sound of running, the footsteps were fast yet light and as she looked up, she saw a woman in shadow at the end of the next alley that led away from the blast zone.

“ _Please help!”_ she yelled, _“Please, somebody!”_

“Not another one!” River exclaimed, and she tossed a set of keys to Victor.

“When the shutter's down, lock the bottom – it's the small silver key. I have to help this young woman...”

“Okay, I'll be with you in a minute,” Victor replied as he sorted through the keys and waited or the shutters to close. As River grabbed her bag and ran off to meet the distraught young woman, he concluded at least this one was at a distance from the danger – River would come to no harm now, she was a whole street away from the chaos...

 

River reached the end of the alley and stepped out. The young woman was breathless and she clutched at her arm with a black lace fingerless glove, her nails were painted red and matched her lipstick. Her bright orange hair clashed with her deep pink eyeshadow. She wore a string of black beads around her throat and there was a tattoo at the side of her neck that said _Ruby_ , inked in fancy scroll. As she spoke she shifted about the ground in tiny movements on white shoes with small heels and her short skirt made of several layers of white lace bobbed and swayed as she breathed hard and her cleavage looked noticeably trapped in a black corset that seemed a size too small.

“My name is Ruby... you're a doctor, right? You're Doc Mooney?”

River nodded and the woman carried on speaking, “We were heading into the city when the explosion happened. The window was open and glass and shit came in and ... _And my bae is hurt! He's bleeding, you have to help him NOW!_ ”

Those last words had been said in panic as she looked wide eyed at River and her grip on her arm got tighter. River took hold of her hand and gently removed it from her arm.

“Okay, try and stay calm,” she said, “It sounds like he's been hit by broken glass... where is he?”

“This way!” she said, and she hurried along the street as her heels hit the ground with dainty clicks that echoed in the stillness as she led her around a corner and towards a limousine that was parked nearby. The windows were up, they were tinted and River got the oddest feeling as she paused and looked back, suddenly the alley that led back to the clinic, and to Victor, seemed too far away.

“Hurry up!” Ruby urged, and she led her over to the limo.

Just as River joined her, a street light came on and Ruby looked at her and blinked spidery lashes.

“Oh!” she said, “You've got a funny little nose! You look like a little penguin!”

River stared at her. Now that odd feeling was turning icy and she wasn't sure why. The penguin reference was something she had heard before, but it just seemed odd at a time like this – although Ruby seemed odd too, and people often behaved oddly and said the weirdest things when they were in shock...

“I need to see your... bae? You said he was hurt?”

Ruby reached for the handle of the back door of the limo, and tugged it hard, then she slapped the glass with her gloved hand.

“ _Oh shit... Are you okay in there, bae? Open up, I've found a doctor!”_

River felt a sense of relief. Now _that_ made sense. Maybe the guy was close to passing out, maybe they would have to break a window.

“My boyfriend is locking up the clinic for me, he should be along any time now,” River said, “He can break into the car if we need to.”

Ruby tugged on the door again and it opened. It was dark inside. It was roomy, too, and she felt uneasy, but then as Ruby went in first, she heard her whisper _What the fuck?_ And she sounded shocked. _Now_ this sounded like a real emergency. River climbed in the back and the door closed. The car moved forward quickly, lurching and sending her tumbling to the floor... _The car was moving?_ As someone grabbed her and pulled her sharply towards the seating, the lights flickered and she struggled in vain as two sets of female hands with colourful painted nails pinned her on the floor. She gave a gasp as the man who sat opposite leaned closer, grinning as his deathly pale face looked strange against his red lips and the crazed look in his eyes shone cold. There was a fight breaking out on the other side of the seating as Ruby grabbed a woman by the hair and slapped her.

“ _Fucking bitch, I just saw you on his cock!”_ she yelled, and there was a rip as a chunk of hair floated to the floor of the limo and the woman yelped and they traded blows.

“It's not as it seems, Ruby. She... _fell_ on me,”Jeremiah Velaska said dismissively, then he looked intently at River.

“Hello again Miss Mooney!” he announced as amusement crept into his voice.

River looked back at him in horror. Then she saw her gun on the other side of the limo, where it had fallen from her pocket as she was captured. Just then the two brawling women rolled off the seat and Ruby grabbed the gun and jammed it under the chin of the blonde, she pulled the trigger and blood and brains spattered the window.

Jeremiah glanced at the mess on the other side of the vehicle and then flicked a bone fragment from his suit and as he leaned closer, she looked up and saw the two women who held her smiling down with evil in their eyes as they gave off the stink of cheap perfume. River glared at Velaska as she tried to hide her fear, but her voice trembled as she spoke.

“ _My Dad will kill you for this!”_

Jeremiah looked her up and down as she looked back at him in horror.

“I'm certainly hoping he will come looking for you, because when I've finished bombing the shit out of this city, I'm going to kill him!” he said with glee, then he gave her a wink as his voice darkened, _“Don't worry about Daddy. I'm your Daddy now, princess!”_

And he laughed like the maniac he was, as River looked up at him in horror and the car kept moving at speed, onward to a destination unknown.

 

As the last of the armed looters passed by the car, Molly kept her arm tight about her son. She looked back, then to the sides, aware of the limited view from ground level. It looked clear, and so did the front facing view of the road that led to the river.

“Cain,” she whispered, and he stopped hiding his face and looked up at her with wide eyes.

“Are we safe yet, Mommy?” his voice sounded so small and so afraid.

“I think so. I'm going to get out first,” Molly told him, “And then get out when I reach for your hand, okay?”

Cain looked terrified.

“I'm scared!”

Molly looked into his eyes.

“You know that mural on the wall, the picture of Daddy?”

Cain nodded.

“Well, you're his son and you're as brave as he was in the days of Gotham's war, Cain. But you just have to be brave for two minutes. I _know_ you can do this!”

He looked at her with wide eyes, and as she forced a smile, he slowly nodded.

“Good boy,” she said, then she rolled from under the car, and ducked her hand back under. As she felt his small hand in her grip she pulled him out and felt a wave of relief as she lifted him into her arms, then shifted him over so she had her son in one arm and her other hand free as she clutched her gun.

Cain looked around at the empty street. In the distance he heard gunfire. Molly ran for the road, they made it down the slope and as she saw the river looking dark by the fading light, she stopped, setting him down on the ground as she paused to rub her aching shoulder.

“You've got heavy since you was a baby!” she exclaimed, then she took his hand again and they hurried away, following the river as they made their way far from the sound of gunfire and the glow of fire and the rising smoke.

As they ventured back towards the road that led back into town, she saw traffic moving and here, it seemed, there was no trouble – yet.

“Come on,” she said as she hurried up towards the road and Cain ran alongside her as he clung to her hand, “I think we're safe now...”

Just then a car screeched to a halt and in the fading light, as her heart seemed to slow between beats, her first thought was the safety of her son as she raised the gun, pointing it towards the car as she tugged Cain behind her back in a single, fluid movement. Then a voice spoke up and she instantly relaxed and lowered the gun.

“ _Molly, it's Jim Gordon...”_

She breathed a relieved sigh as she tucked the gun in the back of her jeans and led Cain over to the car and they both got in the back.

“Are we safe yet, Mommy?” Cain asked.

Jim looked back at her and she saw worry in his gaze, an old, haunted look was about his eyes.

“It was a bomb?” she asked.

“It looks that way. You got caught up in it?”

“Almost,” she turned away as she fasted her son's seat belt.

Jim had seen the gun clearly but he wasn't about to ask questions. In the old days Penguin had controlled all the guns and ammunition - and rumour had it that he still did, even now in peace time. But that was no longer his concern. Molly and her son looked like they had been through smoke and their clothing was marked with grime. Penguin's son looked terrified and Molly seemed as if she was so worked up she was about to go to war with anyone who got between her and the only thing that mattered: Getting her son safely back home again.

“I'll take you both home,” he said.

As he drove away and headed for the highway, Molly reached into her pocket and took out her phone. Jim tried to focus on the road and not to listen, but it was impossible to not hear the conversation:

 _'Oswald, we're okay. Yes, we're fine. Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm okay, Cain's fine too. We had to hide from looters but we got to the river and then we ran into Jim Gordon. He's giving us a ride home..._ there was pause, _Oh no, don't get upset my love, it's okay, we're both fine... I love you too. See you soon.'_

Molly gave a heavy sigh as she ended the call and then she leaned back against the seat, flipped her jet black hair off her face and all tension finally began to melt away.

Then Cain spoke up.

“I was brave today!”

Jim smiled as he watched the open road ahead.

“I'm sure you were, Cain. It's been a difficult day. Lots of people are being brave right now.”

“Who did the bombing?” Molly asked.

“We don't know yet. But we've already got our people going in to try and determine what kind of device was used and who might be responsible.”

“ _You'd better stop them fast,”_ Molly murmured as she shook her head, _“Fucking sights I've seen today...Christ almighty...”_

Then Cain spoke up again.

“My Daddy was brave in the war, he was a hero.”

Jim felt awkward.

“Well some people think he is...it depends whose side you were on...It was about territories, Cain...Your father defended a part of Gotham in his own way and some called people like your Dad criminals but -”

“My husband was a freedom fighter who defended this city!” Molly stated.

He could feel it before he saw it; Molly's eyes were burning into the back of his head. He glanced at her and saw her shake her head as if to say, _Shut up.._.

“It was complicated, Cain,” Jim added, “But what matters now is we're all good friends and work together.”

“And Daddy was a hero,” Cain said again.

“I'm sure he's your hero,” Jim agreed, and finally they pulled into the driveway of the Van Dahl mansion, and Jim breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a difficult conversation, about a difficult subject...he and Oswald had fought on both the same side and opposing sides too, it had all been a tangled mess and he was glad it was in the past...

As they got out of the car the porch light came on, and Oswald opened the door, rested his cane against the wall and Jim saw tears streaking his face as he held out his arms and his son ran to him. Then Molly joined them and Oswald briefly pulled her close and kissed her. He looked over at the car.

“Thank you so much, Jim,” he said and he was still visibly upset. Jim gave him a nod.

“You're welcome, Oswald,” he replied, and then he drove away.

 

Victor had locked up the shutters and taken a walk down the alley to the next street. He had looked both ways and yelled _Baby Fish_ , but only his own voice had echoed back at him. Then he thought about her refusal to go home and began to walk along the street, knowing eventually, it would lead back to heart of the chaos – this route would have led her back to the other end of the blast site, where she would have joined the paramedics as the injured arrived. He didn't doubt she was either working with them – or, if she had found a way, got back into the middle of the disaster, where she knew more people were yet to be reached. He gave a heavy sigh and as he walked, he took out his phone and called Penguin, knowing his boss would not be happy to hear that he had lost River.

“Yes Victor, is everything going okay?”

“You sound upset, should I be concerned?”

“No, no,” Oswald replied, “I'm just emotional. I'm relieved, Molly and Cain just arrived home safely. They had a terrible long journey but they got home unharmed.”

Victor took a breath and hoped there would be minimal shouting.

“River asked me to lock up the clinic because of looting. Then she went off to help someone and I haven't seen her since.”

“ _What? Where is my daughter?”_

“Calm down, boss. She was away from the blast area, helping some girl who ran up the alley. I think she's taken the long route back to avoid the worst of the trouble. She said she's not going home until this crisis is over.”

Oswald breathed a sigh and now his temper simmered down.

“Well you must find her, Victor. She's obviously determined to get back to the wounded. Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find her. And when you do, be sure not to leave her side again!”

“But I had to secure the clinic, Penguin!”

“Of course you did. But now you must locate my daughter – even if it takes all night. Just stay with her and _don't_ leave her side again, no matter what she asks of you! It's not safe out there and she's alone, trying to help the wounded while buildings are unstable and looters are trashing stores! Find her!”

“Yes, Penguin, you can be sure I'll do that.”

Victor ended the call and then carried on walking, taking the long route back towards the carnage as he worried deeply for River, who it seemed, had gone straight back into the blast zone alone, knowing he would have tried to stop her.

“Crazy Lady Penguin, where the hell are you?” he muttered as up ahead, there was already the distant glow of fire and thick smoke hanging in the air.

 

Back at the house, Molly had got Cain cleaned up, then given him supper before sending him off for a much needed early bedtime. Then she had called the house where April was having a sleepover with a friend and told her to stay there and sit tight, she would be safe at her friend's house until the danger had passed. She promised River would call her in the morning. Then Molly had hugged Oswald many times and kissed away his tears as she had related the tale of how she had managed to get their son out of the blast zone. When she spoke of the explosion being deliberate, Oswald's face had paled.

“ _If this is Velaska's work, I swear I'll kill him!”_ he raged, and she had hugged him again and reminded him that even the cops were yet to find out who was responsible.

Then Molly had taken a quick shower to wash away the grime and the smell of smoke, and after she left the bathroom, she had left her hair damp and put on a bathrobe. Her husband was still waiting for her in the bedroom, Oswald was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning on his cane, still dressed and with a worried look on his face.

“We can't go back to the old days, not now... This isn't fair, I have a family now!”

He blinked away tears of rage.

“It could have been some random attack,” Molly reminded him as she sat beside him, “Don't think too far ahead on this. The cops will know more in the morning.”

He set his cane aside and ran his fingers through his spiked hair.

“And if it's not a random attack? If it's Velaska, I'm going to war on him! I'll stop him before he can tear the rest of this city apart, and even the cops can't stop me – Article Two of the Gotham City peace treaty pact, drawn up at the end of the war: _The underworld may assist the GCPD in ending threats to the city and the public if the threat is considered overwhelming, with no fear of criminal charges laid against them!_ I can do it and quote the law in Jim's face if he tries to stop me!”

Molly gave a heavy sigh.

“As much as I love your battle scars, you really don't need any more. Slow down, Oswald!”

He looked at her as worry reflected in his eyes.

“And River is out there somewhere! She's not answering her phone!”

“She's helping the wounded. We know what she's like, she's a great doctor and if there's been a crisis, she won't come home until the last patient is out of there! Victor will find her.”

Oswald gave a sigh.

“I just want her home.”

“And she will be, most likely in the morning when the worst of it is over.”

“You're right,” Oswald said quietly, then he sat in silence, lost in his concerns for his daughter and the city as he wondered who was behind the bombing.

Now didn't seem like the best time to ask, it was a bloody awful time, but after the conversation in the car with Cain, Molly need to raise some questions, and while April was away, River was out with wounded, Cain was off to bed and Iris and Julian were downstairs together watching TV as Julian rested on the sofa, they had time and privacy up here in their bedroom with the door locked, and at least what ever was said between them now would remain between them...

“ _Oswald, I had a chat with Cain today, he said you have a secret.”_

He had been lost in thoughts of the bombing and the city in chaos. He slowly turned his head and as she saw pain reflect deep in his eyes, she shifted closer and took hold of his hand. It came as something of a shock to find his hand had started to shake now.

“ _Secret?”_ he repeated in a hushed voice.

“Cain said you visit a lady who you keep in a safe house just outside of the city. From what I heard, she's been there a very long time and she's on life support. Cain said she will never wake up?”

Oswald drew in a sharp breath and as tears came to his eyes, she held his hand tighter. It was rare to see her husband so utterly devastated – and now it was nothing to do with the bombing in the city.

“It's okay,” she said softly, “I understand what ever happened to her happened many years ago, before you met me, probably even before the war. It sounds like she's been there a long time and you're trying to help her. Sweetheart, you don't have to carry this burden alone.”

Oswald gave a quiet sob and looked away. She stroked his hair and spoke again in a voice full of understanding.

“I think maybe I know who it is. I'm thinking maybe when you go to the cemetery you're talking to a gravestone because it's easier to talk to a memory than to someone who can never answer you, because when you look at them, you know they're already gone.”

He looked back at her sharply as alarm registered in his eyes. She kept a tight grip on his hand.

“ _I knew I was right. It's your Mother isn't it, Oswald.”_

His jaw briefly dropped, and then as he spoke, he sounded a shattered, rambling mess for a few brief moments.

“ _No, No! Mother is dead... She wouldn't have wanted that... not to come back, she would have wanted to rest in peace, I respected that, I... I buried her. She's at rest!”_

Molly looked at him in confusion.

“So who is she, Oswald?”

His hand shook harder as he clung to Molly's grip, then as tears ran down his face he dashed them away and shook his head.

“There is nothing to be gained by talking about this.”

“Yes, there is,” Molly said gently, “You _have_ to talk to me, Oswald! What happened back then, why are you keeping her alive?”

He paused, then he sniffed and wiped his eyes again, and as he started to speak, he looked down at the floor.

“It was before the days of the war, much before that. We briefly found a new understanding together and she talked of us forming an alliance... it was a very volatile time in the underworld... I would have forgiven anything, just to have her at my side. But it fell apart, and I didn't see that coming. Later there was a fight, she was injured. I took her to Hugo Strange and he tried to save her but she died... he said because he had already brought her back once he couldn't do it again because it didn't work like that, but I begged him and when that didn't work I reminded him he owed me for what he put me through in Arkham! And he did it, he brought her back but - only partly. He said she was almost clinically dead and it was irreversible.”

Molly's eyes were filled with compassion.

“Oh no sweetheart, you should have let her go. I'm sure this lady meant something you back in the day, but she's never going to wake up. You should have let her die in peace.”

Oswald fought back tears.

“You don't understand, I _had_ to give her that chance! She was a real mess when I got her to Strange, when he operated he asked me what I wanted to do with the baby.”

“ _Baby?”_ Molly stared at him, “What baby?”

“She was three months pregnant. It was definitely mine. I told Strange to freeze it and keep it preserved, in case by some miracle she could wake up one day and perhaps there would be a way she could carry our child full term. But she's never going to wake up and that tiny unborn child has been frozen for many years....”

“Oswald,” Molly said again in a hushed voice, “Who is she?”

In that moment, her brave and capable husband looked utterly broken as he gave another sob.

“ _It's Fish Mooney!”_

As he sobbed, Molly drew him into her arms.

“ _At the time I didn't know she'd kept River. I thought that baby was gone and I knew this time, she was going to keep it! My baby, Molly, my little baby!”_

As she held him, she kept her anger to herself as she thought of that woman who had caused so much grief in Oswald's life... _Fish bloody Mooney, again? Even now she was brain dead she was the cause of his sorrow..._

Molly pulled back and pushed a stray spike of hair from his eyes, then she wiped away his tears as she spoke softly to him.

“Oswald, why the actual _fuck_ did you get her pregnant a second time?”

His voice was still tearful as he spoke again.

“Because back then I never expected anyone to want me, ever! And when she wanted me again, I just...”

“Dived in?” Molly suggested.

He nodded, and fought back more tears.

“ _But it wasn't to be.”_

“And you made Strange bring her back a second time, even though he warned you it wouldn't work? So she's brain dead and there's a poor little baby that's on ice that will never be born? Oh Oswald, when this trouble is over in the city, we have to tell River -”

“No! She wouldn't understand!”

Molly looked sadly at her husband.

“She will,” she promised him, “And she will agree with me that Fish can't be kept alive any longer. She's _never_ going to wake up. That life support has to be turned off, you have to let her go in peace.”

“ _River will hate me!”_ he wept, and she pulled him back into a tight embrace.

“No she won't, she will understand,” Molly promised him, “You did this out of love. It's going to be a shock but she will come to terms with it. And you're not on your own with this any more, you didn't have to be in the first place, I will help you to deal with this, it's going to be okay.”

“Do you still love me?” Oswald asked tearfully.

She held him tighter.

“More than ever, Oswald,” she vowed firmly, “You made difficult choices many years ago on your own. You're not alone now, you never will be again, I'm with you.”

He drew back and looked into her eyes.

“I love you so very much, Molly. I don't know what I'd do without you!”

“And you never have to worry about that, I'm here for you, always. I love you, Oswald!”

“What did I do right in my life to ever deserve you?” he asked.

Molly drew him back into her embrace, saying nothing more, as she held him tightly as a silent reassurance that he was loved, and she kept holding on, for as long as it would take for his tears to finally stop...

 

It was dark outside by the time the limo stopped moving and the door was opened up. River was dragged out by the two women who had pinned her to the floor and she made no attempt to struggle as she decided to remain calm, no matter how terrified she felt, would only help to save energy for later. She was going to get out of here, she was going to escape – she had already made herself that promise... River looked about at the area that surrounded them, concluding this was an old abandoned industrial place, probably in the back zone of the down town side of the city. They were in a large parking area, the walls that surrounded the old abandoned factory were as crumbling as the building and covered with graffiti. Here and there, she spotted Velaska's armed guards, they stuck to the shadows, weapons in hand. Velaska was walking on ahead as two guards opened up a heavy door. His progress towards it was hindered by Ruby, who stepped in front of him and stopped him in his tracks as she glared at him.

“ _You sent me to get the penguin girl and I came back and found one of your hookers down on your cock! I got my tongue pierced because you said I'd give you the best head! You're an asshole, Jeremiah -”_

A slap to her face sent her sprawling as he paused to adjust his glove.

“Shut up,” he said casually and walked on, leaving her to pick herself up from the filthy ground.

“ _You said you loved me when we were in Arkham!”_ she yelled as her voice echoed about the empty parking area, _“You said I was the only girl for you! You said I'd be the only girl on your arm when you broke out!”_

Jeremiah laughed and shook his head.

“I sometimes tell lies,” he replied, “It makes life fun!”

As he entered the building and River was led inside, she had been listening to everything: _So Ruby had met him in Arkham? That came as no surprise, she seemed as crazy as he was..._ Even after that slap Ruby was following him as they reached an old elevator and the rusty grille was folded back and River was forced inside as Jeremiah joined her. He slammed the door closed as Ruby clung to the metallic mesh, glaring through it.

“ _Next time you want head, I'll bite it off!”_ she raged.

Jeremiah grinned as he looked at her, and ran his tongue slowly over his teeth.

“Promises, promises, Ruby! You _know_ I like it rough...” he hit the button and the elevator shuddered, “Later, sugar tits!” he said teasingly, and gave her a little wave as they began to rise and she was stuck there on the ground, glaring up at him.

As the elevator climbed, River looked at Jeremiah and shook her head.

“You're disgusting!”

Jeremiah laughed.

“Ooh, you _are_ getting all worked up, Baby Fish! I seem to remember you still owe me a date...”

“I only wanted to steal your phone, moron!” she snapped.

He looked intently at her, and there was something about his ice cold gaze that chilled her so deeply that all urge to rage at him slipped away as fear took its place.

“I'm sure we'll have our fun, but not yet... all in good time,” he said darkly.

The elevator stopped and he opened up the door and River was led into a bare room where in the centre, a tall, glowing device stood with cables snaking off towards a power source where cables met with the connectors on the wall and old fashioned dials moved with the pulse of the energy that ran through it.

“That,” Valeska said, “Is my special toy! If this device is set off, it doesn't just bring down this building. It sends a message to all my other devices in the city and they all explode. I have the option to detonate the others separately by remote control, but this one, is _very_ special. It's my insurance against any of the other devices being tampered with. But they are all well hidden. I'm not going to contact your father until the morning. I'll let him worry about you and lose sleep tonight before I tell him I have you....”

He looked to the women who held River and indicated to the corner of the room where heavy pipes lined the walls.

“Put her in the corner and make sure she can't get loose!”

River was led over to the corner where cuffs were secured about her wrist and then linked to a pipe. Her other hand was free, but there was no way she could get out of that cuff, and she wasn't about to injure herself trying to struggle. There had to be another way... But she wasn't sure how she would do it yet. Armed guards stood about the room. The women walked away and headed for the elevator, just as it arrived and Ruby got out. Velaska saw her coming over and gave a sigh.

“What now?”

“I want to see the penguin girl.”

He gestured to River, who stood in the corner of the room with one wrist chained to a pipe.

“There she is...”

Ruby hurried over to her, she was taller than River and as she looked down at her, she grinned.

“ _I like her, Jeremiah! She's got a funny little face! I like her nose! I want to cut it off and keep it!”_

And she flicked the tip of River's nose as River glared at her in silence, vowing that when she got free of the cuff, she would smash her in the face for that...

“She's so small and she looks just like a little penguin!” she turned back to Jeremiah, “Do we have to kill her?”

“After we kill her father, yes, we do!” he replied, and then he turned for the elevator and Ruby hurried after him, leaving River alone in the corner as she sank to the floor and slid her chained wrist carefully downwards. She blinked away tears as she looked to the bomb and then to the guards that patrolled the doorway. She was chained to a pipe, the door was guarded and Velaska had taken her phone.

“ _Somebody help me!”_ she whispered tearfully, and the only reply that came back was the hum of power as the explosive device in the middle of the room glowed brightly with the promise of destruction.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

As the night sky darkened down, River felt a chill as the night air crept in from the cracked window nearby. As she stood up all she could see was the starry sky and rooftops of other abandoned buildings. Now she definitely knew where she was, but it wasn't much use to her while she was cuffed to a pipe. Then she heard the elevator climb and she felt a sense of dread. But it wasn't Velaska. Ruby stepped out and made her way over to her with dainty footsteps, and as she reached her, she smiled. River looked back at her, remembered she was dealing with someone who was clearly insane, and then she wondered if her skills as a doctor might just save her life. Something had to be done, because Ruby had an open blade in her hand...

“You're just like a little penguin,” Ruby said darkly, “And I want to have some fun with you!”

“Where are the guards?” River said in a hushed voice.

“Downstairs. It's too cold up here at night. But everyone knows you can't get away.”

“And where is Jeremiah?” River asked as her voice trembled and she tried not to show fear.

“He's two floors down in the warmest room. He said when we take over Gotham we can have a nicer place to live.”

“Did you escape from Arkham with him?” she asked.

Ruby shook her head.

“I got out six months ago. They never caught me.”

“Why were you in there?”

Ruby gave a sigh.

“My parents treated me like shit so when I grew up I left home but it didn't work out, I kept getting into trouble – it wasn't me, it was other people making me angry, all the time!”

“It's always other people's fault?” River guessed.

Ruby nodded.

“So I had to move back. They treated me like shit again - so I killed them and cut them into little pieces and scattered the parts all around the house. I rearranged them.”

She had stated that so easily as River looked back at her and felt her blood turn to ice. But at least Ruby was talking to her, and that had to be a good indication that she could be useful for something... _If she couldn't get out on her own, she needed someone to help her and_... River's gaze fell on something on the other side of the room: A bag of tools had had been left there, no doubt after setting up the machinery that glowed in the middle of the room. _And all I need is a small screwdriver and a hammer_ , River thought, and then she gave a gasp, horrified at the plan that had just gone through her mind...

“ _Oh shit no, what sort of a monster am I?”_ she said aloud, as she looked into Ruby's eyes.

“You're not a monster. You're a little penguin girl,” she said, “And if you talk to me, I won't cut your nose off - _yet_.”

River forced a smile.

“That sounds like a very good idea. So not many people talk to you, Ruby?”

“No.”

“Are they scared of you?”

Ruby laughed .

“Yes!”

River felt something cold and dark rising inside her along with her will to survive: _She was going to do this, even if it meant going against everything she believed in. She could hate herself for it later. At least she would still be alive..._

“I bet you like being Jeremiah's girlfriend.”

“He's all mine!” Ruby exclaimed.

“I'm almost jealous!” River exclaimed, “You're _so_ lucky. But I have a boyfriend of my own. He's not as great man like Jeremiah, of course... I bet you're not scared of anything, are you Ruby?”

Ruby was studying her face again, and River silently swore if she flicked her nose again, she would lash out...

“I could be your little penguin friend,” she added.

Ruby closed the blade and put it in her pocket. River felt sheer relief wash over her. The plan was working...

“I like penguins,” said Ruby.

River spoke cautiously.

“Tell me what you _don't_ like.”

“I don't like insects, I don't like their crawly legs,” Ruby told her. Then she reached towards her and River tensed as she began to tug on her spiked hair, toying with its styling. Then she laughed as she admired her work and paused to tap River on the end of her nose. River resisted the urge to lose her temper because she was now too far into a plan that made her sick to her stomach, because she knew what she was going to do and it was something that she had read about in history books and it made her feel sick - but all she had was crazy Ruby, and a bag of tools that contained a screwdriver and a hammer - and that was all she needed to take a gamble and hope it paid off...

“I'm going to tell you a secret,” River whispered, and Ruby tilted her head, listening intently.

“It will stop Jeremiah being very angry,” she added, “Because if he realises there's a problem with his device over there, he will blame you. He will make me tell him who was up here last and I'll have to say it was you because he will hurt me. He likes hurting people, doesn't he?”

“All the fucking time!” Ruby complained, “He always hits me when he's mad.”

“Then you need to get me out of these cuffs so I can fix the problem with the device.”

Ruby looked at her oddly and then she shook her head.

“I'm not stupid! If you try and escape I'll _definitely_ cut off your nose!”

River was breaking into a sweat as she thought fast.

“Forget the keys. There's another way. You can fix the device yourself! I just need to show you how to do it. I'm sure you're clever enough.”

“I am clever,” Ruby agreed, “Jeremiah never says so but I know I am!”

“I can tell you're very smart,” River replied, “That machine shouldn't be glowing so brightly. It could blow up and set off all his bombs and ruin his plans. If you can fix it, you can tell him you helped him out. I bet he'll love you forever!”

Ruby paused for thought. River smiled warmly.

“What do you want me to do?” Ruby asked.

“Just fetch me a small screwdriver from that bag of tools on the other side of the room, the smallest one you can find...and a hammer. I'll show you what to do.”

Ruby looked confused as she went over the other side of the room and searched through the bag. She found a small screwdriver and then held up a hammer.

“That's perfect,” said River, as she tried to hide how sick she felt at her own vile plan. She had never known until now how the desperate need to survive could drive an otherwise decent person to _this_...

Ruby came back over to join her and River slid down to the floor as she awkwardly tugged her cuffed hand down the pipe, then she sat down.

“Sit on the floor in front of me and I'll show you what to do...”

Ruby sat down, and she laid the hammer and screwdriver out of her reach as she paused to open up her knife again.

“If this is a trick, I'll cut you to pieces!” she said darkly.

“It's no trick...my father is a powerful man. I know about all kinds of things, including explosives! Now, pick up the screwdriver for me... I want you to imagine that panel right in front of us is within your reach. Just picture it... you have to open it up very carefully and then… _Oh no...don't move!_ ”

“Why?” Ruby said, freezing instantly.

River felt sick to her stomach. _Yes, she was dangerous and crazy, but this girl was also not too bright and what she was tricking her into was something she felt sure would always weigh heavily on her conscience. But her own life was at stake, and that was all she had to remember to keep the plan in motion..._

“You have something crawling on you,” River said in a low voice, “It's got a _lot_ of legs...”

Ruby's eyes filled with panic as she gave a gasp.

“Get it off me!”

“I have a plan,” River replied calmly, “It's going to be okay. We can get it to crawl on to the tip of the screwdriver, then you close your eyes and I'll smack it away really fast, okay?”

“Okay...” she whispered.

“Turn the screwdriver around so the point faces you and hold it in both hands for me,” River said, and Ruby obeyed her, as she broke into a sweat and her hands shook. She gripped the screwdriver and turned it around, pointing at her own face. River shifted closer as she looked to the hammer. It was within reaching distance...

“Now, angle the tip of the screwdriver really close to your upper eyelid,” she said, “And keep the handle pointing downward...”

“Like this?”

“A little more...”

“Why is this going to help? I can't feel it crawling!”

“Believe me, it will help, Ruby. It's about to drop on to the tip of the screwdriver any minute now... Hold that screwdriver carefully in place for me... and close your eyes because you don't want to see it fall, do you?”

“No. I don't!” she exclaimed.

“Eww... It's crawling, it's horrible!” River said, and as Ruby closed her eyes, River reached up with her free hand, gently easing the screwdriver tip a fraction from her upper eyelid.

“Just keep still, it's almost there... I'll help you to stay calm while it crawls down,” she added, _“Let me tell you a story about a horrible procedure doctors used to do to subdue violent patients and make them obedient and harmless...”_

She reached for the hammer and lifted it silently and drew it back,  _ “It involved  _ _piercing the thin bone that separates the eye sockets from the frontal lobes. It would to sever connections in the brain between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus...”_

And she hit the handle of the screwdriver with the hammer and there was a crack as it slid through the upper eye socket and penetrated Ruby's brain.

River slid the hammer back across the floor and as Ruby slumped unconscious against the wall, she carefully drew out the screwdriver and blood and fluid leaked from the small hole as River wiped the screwdriver clean then tossed it and it landed back in the open bag. She looked at Ruby.

“ _It's called an ice pick lobotomy,”_ she added, “And I'm sorry. But I need someone on my side and as long as you're willing and compliant when you wake, I should be okay... As long as you _do_ wake. If not, I'm as dead as you are when the guards return...”

Then she noticed Ruby's discarded knife and she picked it up, it was too big to pick the lock on her cuffs, but a weapon would be useful. She folded the knife and put it in her pocket as she waited for Ruby to wake and tried to learn to live with the weight already bearing on her conscience as she thought about what this desperate situation had driven her to do. She was a doctor who wanted to save lives, not use barbaric procedures to save her own skin, but right now, it seemed all she had was her medical knowledge to try and turn this situation around. If Ruby was compliant when she woke, River knew stood a chance of getting out of this situation alive...

 

By eleven pm that night, the house was almost silent – Victor had called Oswald to say he was still searching for River, but the blast zone was crowded and the wounded were everywhere and he was still looking. Oswald had told him to bring her home when he found her, and then he had laid back down beside Molly and watched her as she slept deeply. There was no trace of the smell of smoke in her hair as he gently kissed her, then he stretched out his damaged leg as a vague ache flickered through it and his thoughts stayed with River. He hoped she would be home before morning, because she was facing a long night with all the casualties...

Then his thoughts turned to Fish Mooney and the child that had never been born. But then as he turned out the light, he rested his head on Molly's shoulder and felt an instant sense of peace: This was his family, Molly and Cain – and he had his precious River, his flesh and blood born from his first deep and crazy love affair with Fish. He had his family, they were all in his heart... He slept deeply, but as Molly lay beside him, she was being pulled into a strange dream:

She was back in Ireland and walking down a path towards an old pub she remembered well that overlooked the sea. As she approached it, the painted sign outside creaked as it swung in the wind and she looked up it, seeing the name _The Mermaid Inn,_ and looked to the faded image of the mermaid's smiling face, as her attention was drawn to its tail... The tail of a fish...

Then a movement caught her eye and she looked across the path, someone was walking up from the direction of the beach, and Molly could only stand there, staring at the odd sight of the woman who walked towards her. She wore a long black silken coat that flowed behind her as it caught on the breeze and her face was obscured by a black lace veil. As she joined her on the path she stopped and Molly just looked at her, getting the feeling this was more than a dream...

“Who are you?” she said.

The woman remained silent, yet she could feel her stare through the heavy veil as the end of it fluttered on the breeze and she made out delicate features beneath it.

“I said, who are you?” she demanded.

“I know you can see ghosts,” the woman said, “But I'm not dead. I'm between worlds and far more powerful than you can imagine. _And you need my help_.”

Then she raised a gloved hand and lifted the veil. Molly stared at her:

 _It was Fish Mooney, and she didn't look a day older than she did in the pictures Oswald kept in his study..._ _but now her eyes were mismatched colours, one was brown and the other was a blind shade of white over blue and on the left side of her face, her features were marred by strange purple marking that wasn't deep enough to be a scar yet looked like a thin, purple scratch in the shape of a lightning bolt._

“Why do I need your help?” Molly asked in a hushed voice.

A smile briefly flickered about her lips.

“You've communicated with Liam and he's long dead - but you see me and you know I'm somewhere between life and death, and that makes you uneasy?”

“I'm not sure,” Molly replied, looking into her eyes as again, it hit her that this was so much more than a dream. Fish spoke again.

“I'm not here to come between you and Oswald. But you _must_ save my daughter!”

Molly felt a jolt on hearing those words.

“Is River in danger?”

“She is far more brilliant than she realises. Strange will tell her that soon. She can go further, do more than he believes is possible. Things happen for a reason, Molly! I spent my old life thinking existence was all about power and dominance but there is _so_ much more!”

Molly looked at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Fish looked at her intently.

“It;s what we take with us that matters in the end. There will be a chain of events. When River treats Julian she will realise something and then everything changes for me! She can bring me back!”

Molly couldn't help the mistrust that reflected in her eyes and Fish laughed as if she had just read her mind, then her eyes burned with deep emotion as she shook her head.

“Oh no, Molly. I'm not planning on stealing your husband...” she leaned closer,

“ _My return will be for a purpose! I will come bearing a gift in your darkest hour.”_

“My darkest hour?” Molly said, “I don't understand...”

“It has not yet come to pass,” Fish replied, “But those dark fears, the worst you can imagine, will happen. Not yet, but one day,” she paused, and as she spoke again, Molly felt trapped in her gaze as if Fish had just looked into her soul and listed all her fears at once: _“Your husband, separated from you by prison bars...your sick husband! And you will feel powerless, because you_ _can't fight this with your fists or with guns!”_

“ _YOU'RE A LIAR!”_ Molly yelled in her face.

Fish remained calm.

“I am trying to _help_ you! And Oswald too. This is for both of you! If you think the storm is overhead now, think again! You darkest fear is not Jeremiah Velaska. You fear losing Oswald to far worse - and I am the only one who can save him! I'm talking about the future, Molly. And if you doubt my word, I will prove it to you when I wake!”

She pointed to the sign that swayed in the wind.

“ _Mermaid.”_ she stated.

Molly's flesh prickled with goose bumps as she shivered. Fish turned away and began to walk back up the path towards the sea.

“If you're trying to help,” Molly called to her, “Why, Fish? _Why_ would you bother now?”

Fish stopped walking and turned back.

“Two reasons, Molly. Love for Oswald and my gratitude to you.”

“But you don't owe me anything!”

Fish briefly smiled as she gave a her a knowing look.

“ _But I will when you save my daughter.”_ She said, and then she turned away and as she walked on, the breeze caught on her clothing and as it fluttered in the wind, she vanished.

Molly blinked, and the Mermaid Inn was gone, the path and the sea were gone, and in place of it came a series of images that terrified her:

_Darkness, prison bars, a cold feeling of helplessness, of something she could not fight. Oswald's face was streaked with tears as he spoke on the phone and said, "Molly, I'm so scared, I don't want to die in here!"  And she wanted to reach in there and grab Oswald and drag him out and into her arms before it was too late... And then she saw Fish, dressed in black just like she wore in the dream.  As someone reached for her hand, Fish pulled it back sharply and said, "Do NOT touch me!" as she put on gloves, black leather gloves - and it meant something..._

 

Molly woke up with a gasp and sat up in bed, she was still breathing hard as she turned on the light. Then Oswald woke too and sat up and blinked away sleep.

“Molly?” he said, noticing her hair was damp with sweat, “What's the matter, my dear?”

“Bad dream,” she whispered, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Her heart was racing, he could feel it along with her quickened breath as she held him and he drew back with a look of concern in his eyes.

“You don't get bad dreams.”

“I did tonight,” she said in a hushed voice, “And Fish Mooney was there. She said she's not dead and River is in trouble.”

Oswald reached for his phone and called Victor again. _Maybe it was just a dream, but under the circumstances, it made his worry go deep..._

“Hurry up, Victor, answer the damned phone!” he said impatiently, and then as the call was answered, Molly listened.

“Where's River?” Oswald demanded.

“I don't know, Penguin, I've searched the whole area and she's nowhere! One of the paramedics said she might have taken some patients to the hospital. That's my next stop – it's going to be crowded, it could take a while but I'll find her. I'm not getting an answer from her phone but maybe the battery is flat.”

“Call me as soon as you find her,” Oswald said, then he ended the call.

As he saw the look on Molly's face, his worry increased. She was looking at him with such deep sadness in her eyes and he wondered what kind of dream would have caused that. Molly was never like this, he saw deep, real fear in her eyes...

“I love you so much!” she said, and then she held him tightly as she ran her hand over his hair, pressed her cheek against his and carried on holding him tightly, as if she might be afraid he would vanish from her arms like a ghost.

“I'm not surprised you dreamed about Fish after what I told you,” Oswald said as he pulled back, “But Molly, it was just a dream.”

“And if River is in danger?”

He fell silent for a moment.

“If my daughter is in any kind of danger, I will do everything in my power to ensure her safety! You can be very sure of that, Molly.”

She paused for a moment. That dream had felt so real she could still smell a trace of the sea breeze somewhere on the air.

“I never want to lose you,” she whispered.

“You won't!” he said firmly, “I haven't come this far in life for a disaster to happen now! What could possibly be so bad that you would lose me?”

“Do you think Fish might wake up some day? You must believe there's hope because you kept her alive!”

Oswald fell silent.

“Do you?” Molly asked again.

He nodded.

“Yes,” he admitted quietly, “I have felt it many times, it's just a feeling I can't explain. As if she has unfinished business of some kind. Despite all I was told about how hopeless it was, I felt... _something_.”

“Have you ever dreamed about her?”

“No,” he said, and then he drew her back down with him to the softness of the bed and took her in his arms.

“I am sure River is just fine. Go back to sleep, Molly. And please don't worry.”

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest as the words Fish had spoken stayed with her. Then the reassuring sound of Oswald's heart beating was enough to pull her back into sleep at last.

 

The TV was full of late night reports of the bombing, and as scenes were broadcast live, as Julian rested on the sofa with Iris and they watched it, he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

“I didn't think stuff like this happened in Gotham any more.”

Iris saw worry reflecting in his eyes and she got up and turned off the TV.

“Come on, let's go to bed, you're not supposed to be up late. River said you need a lot of rest.”

He sat up, then reached for his cane and got up, his shaking hand gripping the cane hard as he got his balance.

“I'll be okay,” he told her as she made a move to help him, and then the phone on the table lit up and rang softly.

“That's Molly's phone,” Julian said, “We should give it to her, it might be important.”

Iris picked up the phone and looked at the number: Kane MacQueen was calling.

“I think it's her Dad?”

Julian held his hand out.

“Give it to me, I'll answer it.”

She handed him the phone and he tried in vain to unlock it.

“Shit, it's locked... I don't know the password. Let's take it up to her.”

“I think she's asleep!” Iris told him.

“But it's her Dad, he probably heard about the bomb,” Julian replied, then he left the room and headed for the stairs as Iris followed.

As they made their way up the stairs, and to her surprise, Julian managed without help. But the phone had stopped ringing by the time they reached the top.

“We shouldn't wake them,” Iris said.

“But it was her Dad, she needs to know!”

Iris gave a sigh as Julian hurried off leaning on his cane as he made his way to the main bedroom.

“ _Knock!”_ she whispered, too late as he turned the handle and walked straight in and put the light on.

“Molly, I think your Dad's on the phone!” he said loudly.

Oswald woke first, sitting up and blinking in the brightness, then Molly sat up too and for a moment she thought it was morning, expecting their five year old to leap on the bed - instead, they got Julian, who sat down heavily on the side of the bed and clumsily held out her phone.

She gave a sigh, then she smiled kindly at Julian.

“Thank you,” she said.

“And please knock next time, Julian,” Oswald reminded him.

Iris was in the doorway.

“Sorry, I did tell him to knock,” she said as she looked to Molly and Oswald, then she spoke again, this time to Julian.

“Come on, it's bedtime! Let them go back to sleep.”

He smiled as he got up and said goodnight and headed for the doorway, seeing warmth in her eyes as Iris beckoned to him with a smile.

“Let's get you off to bed,” she said as she led him out of the room.

“Only if you're coming with me!” he said playfully.

“Of course I am...” Iris closed the door and their voices faded out as they made their way back to Julian's room.

Molly was still looking down at her phone.

“My Dad's called – I'd better call him back.”

She unlocked the phone with her four letter password: _LIAM._

Just then, Kane called again and she answered at once.

“Dad?”

“Molly, oh thank god! I heard about the bombing on the news! Are you and Oswald okay, are the kids okay?”

“Yes, Dad, we're all fine. River's still out treating the wounded, she should be back by morning.”

“I was so worried when I heard the news. Do they know who did it yet?”

“Not yet, they just know it was an explosive device.”

“I'm keeping you all in my thoughts. And make sure you stay away from the city while this is going on.”

“Yes, Dad, I'll stay safe, and so will Oswald.”

“I know it's late where you are, but can you put him on the phone?”

“Sure, Dad...”

Then Molly passed the phone to her husband, and he and Kane spoke for a short while and after reassuring him again that everyone was just fine, he said goodnight and ended the call. Then Molly turned out the lights and they finally went back to sleep, assuming everyone was safe – and that River would be back in the morning...

 

It was almost five am. River twisted the cuff as her stiff wrist ached from being fixed to the cold pipe, she shivered and then as Ruby moved and groaned, she gave her a nudge.

“Wake up,” she said, “I need your help...”

Ruby sat up sharply as an ache throbbed inside her head. Then she blinked and turned her head slowly, looking dazed as she focused on River.

“What do you remember?” River asked cautiously.

“There was something crawling...”

“And you panicked and fell over. I think you hit your head.”

Ruby seemed confused. River noticed that crazy look was dulled in her eyes. It was a mix of both relief and guilt to see there was a chance this barbaric procedure may have worked...

“You need something?”

Ruby staggered to her feet, swayed and then got her balance. She still seemed dazed and the puncture wound, hidden beneath her eyelid, had made her eye look bruised and swollen. If Jeremiah bothered to notice, he would simply assume she had fallen – or been in another fight...

“Are you my friend now?” River asked as she smiled.

Ruby frowned.

“I had a knife...” she ran her hands over her clothing and looked about the floor.

“You don't need it now,” River said, “But you _must_ keep a secret for me. _Don't_ tell Jeremiah we are friends.”

She blinked.

“Why?”

“Because he will hurt me.”

“I think I wanted to hurt you,” Ruby said, “But... I won't now. I'm too tired. And I want to get something... you said...”

“I need the key to unlock the cuff,” she reminded her, “Can you get the key without Jeremiah finding out?”

She hesitated, looking back towards the elevator and then she shook her head.

“I don't know, I don't want to fight with him any more!”

Clearly, the damage she had caused had taken out her aggression. But now she was wondering if it had taken everything out of her. Perhaps she would be too afraid to get the key. Maybe she would stumble around like a zombie for the rest of her days – or at least, until Velaska realised something was up and either threw her out or killed her.

“If you get me the key, I will get you out of here and help you – I definitely need to give you some antibiotics for your.. _.injury_. And then I'll find you somewhere safe to live, somewhere nice,” River said.

As she made that promise, the guilt that weighed her down eased a little. Clearly this woman had been highly dangerous, but after what she had just done to her, she was now utterly defenceless. Maybe she didn't even need to go back to the asylum...In this case, it seemed an old barbaric method of controlling the insane had actually worked...

“You are my responsibility now,” River added.

Ruby still looked dazed.

“Why?” she asked.

“You just are, it doesn't matter why. But I can't help you without the key. I need you to get it for me as soon as you can take it without him knowing. Don't let him find out, _don't_ let him catch you. If you can't do it tonight, try in the morning. You must _not_ put your life at risk. Can you do this for me?”

“I'll try, if I can...” she murmured, and then she stumbled off towards the elevator. As she got in and it started to descend, River leaned against the wall and gave a heavy sigh. This was either going to work, or make a bad situation much, _much_ worse...

 

Morning came with a bright sun and blue sky that seemed so out of place with the horror below it as in the heart of the city, rescue workers searched for the dead and the injured in ruined buildings. The blast area was off limits to all but the emergency services and the media was full of stories just breaking that it had been confined the device used was one identified as being the work of escaped criminal Jeremiah Velaska.

Oswald had been up since six am, and had watched the news on TV as he drank his morning tea as Molly slept deeply beside him. The name Velaska had made his rage spark up and it reflected in his eyes as he saw a picture of his enemy on the TV as the news report continued.

“ _You're a dead man, Velaska – this ends now!”_ he said darkly.

Then the door opened and Cain ran in.

“Good morning Daddy!” he said loudly as he jumped on the bed and for a brief time, Oswald's thoughts on old scores to settle were gone as he hugged his son.

“There's no school today,” Oswald told him, “The schools are all closed because of the bombing.”

“ _Yay!”_ Cain yelled, and Molly woke from a deep sleep with a groan and raised her head from the pillow as she pushed her hair off her face.

“Cain, I've just woke up, stop yelling!”

“But there's no school!” he looked to his father, “Do you think the bomber might blow up my school? Then I'd _never_ have to go back!”

“I hope he doesn't blow anything else up, he's a dangerous man,” Oswald replied.

Molly sat up in bed.

“Do they know who it is yet?”

“ _Velaska,”_ he said in a low voice, and she felt a cold, sick sense of dread wash over her.

“ _Oh no...”_

Oswald kept his voice low as Cain talked excitedly about playing all day because there was no school.

“ _I'm due to have meeting with the gang leaders today. Now that meeting has great importance. We have to discuss the best way to handle this united. I'll have to act under Article Two of the post war unity pact and contact the GCPD -”_

“Please don't start a war!” Molly whispered as tears came to her eyes.

“I haven't!” Oswald told her, “Valeska did this!”

“...And I want to play in the garden _all_ day!” Cain said.

“Well April is over at at friend's house. River will be picking her up later, maybe not until tomorrow - it depends how the roads are by then, a lot of them are closed off,” Molly told her son.

“The bridges are also closed,” Oswald added.

Molly looked at him sharply.

“ _What?”_

“The authorities have put Gotham on lock down until Velaska is found – no one goes in or out. Clearly, he's here in the city somewhere.”

“Bloody hell...”

Oswald got out of bed. He was wearing just his underwear and as she took in the sight of the scars on his body, for once, she wasn't looking in admiration, instead, she was looking at his old wounds with a feeling of cold dread as she saw his battle scars and silently hoped he would gain no more by the time this crisis was over.

“I'm taking a shower, then I'm getting dressed and making some calls,” Oswald said as he headed of the bathroom, “That meeting _must_ happen today. If the Lounge isn't accessible by road, it will have to be held here at the house.”

“What meeting?” asked Cain as he looked to his mother.

Molly forced a smile.

“Daddy might have some friends come over soon, to talk about business,” she said, “And you're _definitely_ going to be playing in the garden!”

Oswald's phone rang. Molly snatched it up, assuming it was a gang leader, no doubt thinking along the same lines as Oswald regarding the best way to handle the crisis.

“Penguin's phone, this is his wife speaking...”

“ _Yes, I heard you married him.”_

Molly caught her breath. Her son was still talking about the garden and his tree house as she got out of bed and stood there in a short silken nightgown, her face place as shock registered in her eyes: _She knew that voice. It was Velaska..._

The water was running in the shower, Cain said something about showing Julian the tree house, and then he said Iris had already seen it. Then he ran out of the room and she heard him thump excitedly on Julian's door.

“Wake up, wake up!” Cain called out, “I've got no school today, I want you to come outside and play with me!”

And Molly's whole world was separated by an invisible divided line between all she loved and this voice that she hated on the end of the phone as she stood there and heard Velaska laugh.

“You should have killed me while you had the chance,” he said, “I'm all set to take over this city and yes, that bomb was mine. I have plenty more where that one came from too! And if your darling husband wants to see his daughter again, I suggest he meets me – and comes alone. _She's alive and in one piece – for now. Tell him I have River Mooney._ ”

He hung up. Molly slowly lowered the phone as her face paled and she started to shake as fear was eclipsed by rage... _He had River?_

The shower had stopped running. She walked towards the bathroom, feeling as if everything that had been held safe for the past five years was about to slide away. Their safe existence had just been shattered...

Oswald was out of the shower and in a bathrobe as he turned on the hair dryer and started to tease his hair into swept up spikes. He saw Molly reflected in the mirror as she stood in the doorway and he switched the hair dryer off and put it down.

“Molly, what's wrong?”

As he turned towards her, she stood there with her face pale as fury burned in her eyes and she held up her phone.

“ _Velaska just called. He's got River!”_

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

The world seemed to move in a blur as the words she had spoken changed everything, instantly. Oswald had snatched up his phone and called Victor, telling him to get back home _now_ because Valeska had River. Then he had looked at Molly and his eyes were like ice as he said, _This changes everything, he's got my daughter, this is MY war now..._

Molly had watched as her husband put on a dark suit and then his leg brace and left the room. She knew where he was going, to load up some guns... Molly grabbed her clothing, the first items she could snatch up, and threw on blue jeans and a white vest, then she put on her boots, then she searched through her jackets, finding a black leather that fell below her waist – enough to conceal a gun. She reached up above an antique wardrobe and snatched the loaded Desert Eagle from its hiding place where she had stashed it out of sight and reach of Cain, and then she shoved it into the back of her jeans. 

As Oswald returned to the room she saw he had holstered a gun, then he threw on his jacket and picked up his phone, and began to make a series of calls, explaining today's meeting was cancelled due to a family emergency. 

Molly could feel adrenaline surging through her body as she stood there, heart racing, watching as Oswald altered all plans, now he was determined to make this personal, between him and Valeska...

“We're going to need back up,” she said.

Oswald was still looking down at his phone as he sent a message.

“It's done. My people are on standby.”

He was over the shock now. Molly was seeing the other side to her husband now, the side the city knew as Penguin. All fear for River's safety had been turned to cold hard rage and determination to wipe out Valeska and his men.

Oswald drew a small revolver from his pocket and quickly loaded it, put it back and then left the room as Molly hurried after him.

“Slow down!” she exclaimed, “You haven't even contacted Valeska yet, we don't know where he wants to meet -”

“I know what I'm doing, Molly,” Oswald replied, and he walked into Julian's bedroom.

Cain was ready to go outside and he bounced on the bed as Iris put down her morning coffee and turned from the window. Julian was up and dressed too, clumsily tying his shoe laces and his hair was still damp from the shower.

“I feel a lot better today,” he said, “And Cain wants to show me the tree house...”

“I like Julian, he's like a big brother!” Cain announced, “But he's like a little kid sometimes too!”

Julian looked at Cain and laughed.

“I'm not really, Cain. I just struggle a bit because I'm not very well. But I'd like you to be my little brother, I always wanted one!”

“No one is going outside today,” Oswald said, and then as Cain jumped off the bed and looked up at him, he placed his hands on his shoulders as he looked into his eyes.

“There has been some trouble and Daddy has to put a stop to it,” he said, “So I want you to stay in the house today with Iris and Julian...” he looked to Molly, “Lock the doors and windows, please, my dear.”

She nodded and turned from the doorway and hurried down the stairs.

“But why can't I play outside today?” Cain asked as he looked up at his father.

“Because it might be dangerous, there's a lot of trouble happening and I have to do something about it because it's... my job, it's part of my job,” he said, and as Cain nodded, he gave him a hug.

“Be a good boy for Daddy. I will be home very soon. I love you, son.”

“I love you too Daddy,” Cain said as he hugged him again.

Then Oswald walked away from Cain, turned his back on his son and took the revolver from his pocket and handed it to Iris. She looked down at the cold, heavy weapon in her hand as her eyes grew wide.

“Why are you giving me a gun?” she asked in a low voice.

“You should be safe here,” he whispered, “But Valeska has River and I have to go and get her out of there.”

“What's going on?” Julian asked as he got up and reached for his cane with a shaking hand.

“I want to know what's going on!” Oswald heard his son say loudly. He turned his head.

“Go to your room, son. This is grown up business.”

“But Daddy -”

“ _Now,_ please?” Oswald said as a tone of authority crept into his voice. Cain gave a sigh and turned away and left the room.

As Julian joined them at the window, Oswald shook his head.

“I don't want you to worry, Julian.”

“So tell me what's going on!”

Oswald looked to Iris.

“He's sick and I don't want to cause any kind of stress -”

“Uncle Oz, I'm right here!” Julian said as a spark of frustration came to his eyes, “And I'm _not_ stupid!”

“I know that.”

“So tell me what's happened!”

Then he noticed Iris was cautiously holding a handgun.

“What the fuck did you give her a gun for?” he exclaimed.

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“It's like this – Velaska has River and I have to go out there and bring her back.”

Julian's eyes grew wide as alarm registered on his face.

“So call the cops!”

“No, Julian – if I bring the cops in I have to bring the rest of the underworld in too – because Valeska has other explosives and this could bring up a rule in the post war agreement that every available power can be brought in to prevent a disaster - and that could mean another war. _He has my daughter!_ I'm going in there, I'm calling in my men against his and today, it ends and he loses! All you have to do is stay here in the house with Iris and Cain.”

Julian nodded.

“Okay, that makes sense...” there was a hint of frustration in his eyes as he leaned harder on his cane, making the shake in his hand travel up his arm.

“I get why you can't give me a gun,” he added, “But I'm not a fighter. That doesn't mean I wouldn't protect Iris and Cain. I'm going try and keep us all safe.”

“What would you do if Velaska's people broke in?” Oswald said.

“Hide!” Julian exclaimed.

“Are they likely to try?” Iris asked as she carefully handled the gun, knowing she was the only person who would be left in the house able to use it if the need arose.

“Probably not,” Oswald replied, “But if they do, you point that thing and shoot and if they get up you shoot them again, understand?”

Iris nodded.

“I know what to do,” she said quietly as she looked down at the weapon in her hands.

“Be careful, Uncle Oz.” Julian gave him a brief hug.

“It's going to be okay,” Oswald told him, “Don't worry, Julian. Now, I need you both to say up here with Cain until we leave. I don't want him to know what's going on, he is far too young to be told any of this. I need to go downstairs and make a call. I'm contacting Velaska.”

He turned to leave the room. Julian stepped forward and closed his hand about his arm as his grip trembled weakly.

“Wait, Uncle Oz. I have an idea.”

Oswald saw something in his gaze that instinctively told him despite his damage, Julian was a lot smarter than he seemed.

“Tell me?” he said.

“Do you have drones?”

“My people have a few of them, yes.”

“If you get any kind of clue where River might be, send up some drones. See what they can spot.”

Iris looked as stunned as Oswald.

“Julian, that's a great idea!” she said in surprise.

“It certainly is!” Oswald agreed, and he quickly sent a message on his phone, then he briefly placed a hand on Julian's shoulder.

“Thank you, this idea might just be useful,” he told him, and as Julian smiled, Oswald left the room and headed for the stairs. 

 

When Victor returned to the house, the fact that he had spent the whole night without sleep didn't matter. He had a look of murder in his eyes as he met with Oswald and Molly in the dining room as Oswald placed the phone on the table, ready to call Velaska.

“Boss, I'm sorry! She ran off to help this girl... she was two streets away from the blast zone, it was just a girl, she had no gun, she was asking for help. I was closing up the clinic. She wanted the shutters down, she was worried about looting -”

“It's not your fault, Victor,” Oswald said as he turned from the fireplace and met his gaze, “River was just doing what she does best – helping people,” then anger burned in his eyes, “It was _Velaska!_ ” he spat out the name like it was poison, “Not you, Victor, you did the right thing. She wanted the clinic protected and someone asked for help and we know what River is like. Of course she wanted to go with her and assist the injured...” Oswald paused, blinking away tears, then he took in a sharp breath and all his emotions were coldly gathered once more as he glanced to Victor then Molly.

“ _Let's call the bastard.”_

He kept the phone on loud speaker as he called the last incoming number. It rang and the sound echoed about the room as they stood in silence, waiting for an answer.

“Hello, Penguin,” said Jeremiah, “Your daughter is _so_ easy to control. The weak little thing is cuffed by one hand to a pipe and she hasn't even struggled. But she is _very_ cold and probably hungry, I haven't bothered to feed her....” he chuckled with glee as Oswald remained silent and his face twisted into pure rage as he fought against the urge to scream obscenities back at the man who had mistreated his Baby Fish.

“I checked on her this morning,” Velaska added, “She wasn't very pleased to see me. I asked her if she knew who peed on the floor in the night because there was a stinky puddle right next to her, then I remembered she doesn't have access to a bathroom! She told me to go and fuck myself. So, do you want her back, or not? Because I seem to recall the last time we met she stole your phone from me on the pretence of expressing an interest in me personally... I can only conclude I still owe her a date... I'm not expecting much, apart from some weak struggles and screaming -”  
 _“If you touch her -”_ Oswald yelled, slamming his hands on the table as he lunged towards the phone, but Victor closed a hand about his arm and shook his head.

“ _Don't, Penguin,”_ he whispered, _“This is what he wants. Don't let him rattle your cage...”_

Then Victor looked to the phone and once again, absolute murder silently burned in his eyes as he thought of River alone with Jeremiah, and the threats he had just made.

“You sound upset, Penguin,” said Velaska, “Maybe we should end this now. Let's meet up and you can have your daughter back. All I want in return is for you step away from your position of control and hand leadership of the underworld to me. Do we have a deal?”

Molly looked sharply at Oswald.

“He's lying,” she whispered.

Oswald covered the phone with his hand as he glanced at her and whispered back, _“I know.”_

“Shall we arrange a place to meet?” Oswald said, “I am keen for my daughter's safe return. She is all that matters to me...”

“Meet me at noon on the old industrial park,” said Velaska, “Drive around it and go to the back where it overlooks the river. I'll bring your little Fish with me.”

As the call fell silent, Oswald was breaking into a sweat.

“ _Little Fish?”_ he said as tears of rage filled his eyes, _“She's my Baby Fish, my baby Fish Mooney!”_

Then he put his hand to his mouth to stifle a sob and Victor poured him a drink. Molly stared at him... _His baby Fish Mooney?_ That had given her something of a jolt as she realised for the first time, that was the real meaning behind his name for her – not just because he missed out on her childhood, and would have called her Baby Fish, she was his precious child _by_ Fish... _Was he still in love with her?_ If she had been turning slowly to dust in the grave, it wouldn't have hit her so hard. But Fish was still alive, even if she was more or less clinically dead. Yet Fish had told her in that dream, she was not out to steal her husband. _Oh god, that had been no dream, Fish had said, save my daughter – and Velaska had River..._ She drew in a sharp breath as an icy chill washed through her blood and she recalled the other terrible prophecy Fish had made... _Did this mean it was real? Would the rest of it come to pass?_

Oswald was knocking back a small brandy as Victor put his hand on his shoulder and spoke to him reassuringly.

“I know what you're feeling, Boss. Remember, I love her too. I want to kill that bastard as much as you do. We will find her, we will get her out of there unharmed.”

Oswald turned away and looked at his wife.

“What I said just now... I wasn't implying I still love Fish. I hope you know that, Molly. What we once had is gone but I cherish our daughter. My only feeling that remains for Fish are memories. Even if she woke up tomorrow, there would be nothing between us. My heart is yours. But it's also full of memories of a time long gone, can you understand that?”

Molly nodded.

“Of course I can, Oswald,” she replied, as she held back on saying that was the same reason why her phone's password would always be _Liam -_ memories...

Victor's eyes grew wide as he looked from Molly and back to Oswald.

“Penguin, did you just imply Fish Mooney is still alive?”

He gave a heavy sigh.

“She _is_ still alive. And she will most likely never wake up. Long story, Victor - and please don't break this news to my daughter until I speak to her first. Right now our priority is getting her back. Make contact with our people on the ground, tell them to head out to the old industrial park and let's see what the drones pick up. I don't believe she's overlooking the water, she's not that far out. He wouldn't meet me where he's holed up, but most likely, she's close by.”

Molly walked over to the back of the room and pulled open a drawer, then her hand passed slowly over an array of old cutlery.

“What are you doing, Molly?” Oswald asked.

“Finding something appropriate,” she murmured as her hand passed over the neatly placed knives and forks. This was where the less valuable cutlery was stored, the silver was kept in another room... Then she found what she wanted and as she held it up, rust dulled the blade of the knife but its serrated edge still looked sharp.

“What's that for?” Oswald asked.

Anger burned in Molly's eyes like a blaze of fire.

“This is for Velaska,” she vowed, “If I find out he's touched our Baby Fish, I'll cut his bollocks off with this rusty knife!”

Victor looked intently at the blade.

“And I'll hold him down while you do it. I like the way you think, Molly.”

“So do I,” said Oswald darkly, “He will not harm River and get away with it!”

Then he looked at the clock as the time seemed to crawl by painfully slow, it was another two hours before he was due to meet with Velaska...

 

River was standing stiffly as her hand ached and pins and needles tingled in her fingertips. It was painful being cuffed to that pipe, but she tried not to show it as the guards outside the door stepped aside as Jeremiah entered the room.

“I just spoke to your Daddy,” he said with a smile, “He's meeting me soon - and I'm going to kill him. Then I'm going to kill you... but not right away. I have plans for us. _You still owe me a date_.”

Her back hit the damp brick wall as he stepped closer, leaning in towards her face.

“Would you like to see how my clever device works?”

“Not really,” she whispered, her eyes wide as she hoped her answer would prompt him to do it anyway.

He drew a remote control from his pocket.

“Seven green lights mean seven bombs are primed to explode all over Gotham. The seven red lights means I can cancel them if I choose. I'm planning to detonate two more tomorrow and then see if the city is ready to surrender to me. If not, I will take out more of Gotham piece by piece. And my little centre piece here... he indicated to the glowing device in the middle of the room, “Guards them all. The other seven devices can only be shut down via this one if I use the password – and then the other bombs shut off and this one goes on to three minute countdown. As you can see, I've covered everything. And you are chained so close to the device that can stop Gotham's destruction and you can't do a damned thing about it. I like it when you look at me like that, Baby Fish... _so_ powerless...”

He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. River blinked, clearing a blur from her scarred eye. She had lost her monocle in the back of the limo and now she was thankful of the blurring, at least it shut out half of this creeps face as he leaned in too close for comfort.

“Power,” she stated, “It's all about power with you. And you don't care if you end up ruling over a pile of rubble just to come out on top. You have some serious issues with insecurity. And you like to treat women like shit. Is it a sexual issue?”

Rage flashed in his eyes. The stinging slap from the back of his hand made her cry out as she stumbled and her wrist pulled painfully against the pipe as the cuff bit in sharply. River tasted blood in her mouth as it ran from her nose and she raised her head, now she was shaking with pain and anger as she spoke again.

“So it is sexual, then. Otherwise you wouldn't have reacted like that... Oh my god, it must be _fucking_ tiny!”

“Maybe you'll find out after I kill your father!” Velaska said darkly as anger burned in his eyes, then he raised his hand to hit her again.

“ _No! Stop!”_

Velaska turned in surprise as he lowered his hand, confused to see Ruby walking towards him. She was looking dazed and her eye was bruised and swollen. She came closer, and then as Jeremiah demanded to know what the hell she was doing up here, she did something that made River gasp in horror:

“ _I got the key for you,”_ she said robotically, and held out the small silver handcuff key.

Jeremiah slapped it from her grip and it hit the concrete floor making a metallic sound as it bounced once, then again, then fell to the ground far from her reach.

“ _No!”_ River said in a hushed voice.

Ruby swayed on her feet, eyes fixed to the cracked window, then she looked at River.

“ _Insect!”_ she said.

As River wondered what she meant, Jeremiah was enraged as he looked to River and then to Ruby. Then Ruby gave a cry of pain as he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her away as she weakly struggled and then he ordered the guards to follow him as he ranted about killing her for this, and said he wanted the body dumped outside.

River took a sideways glance to the nearby window and then she realised what Ruby had been talking about: _From a distance, it looked like a flying insect. But it was getting closer now, and it was no creature. It was drone..._

“Can you see me?” River whispered, and she took a step closer to the window, as her wrist ached and she tried to reach the grimy glass with her free hand.

“ _I can do this.. I can...”_ River took a deep breath and tugged hard on the cuff, gasping and then biting her lip as the metal bit through flesh and then sliced as she dragged up her hand, taking a layer of skin with it.

She breathed hard and tried again and the skin peeled up more deeply, blood began to run hot and fast from the wound. But she could reach the glass now. The pain from her injured hand was making her shake as it stung sharply and the bones in her wrist felt close to dislocation, but she licked her index finger, then moved it quickly, thinking fast as she moved it across the glass, making a basic picture that she hoped the camera on the drone would understand. As it hovered at the window, she felt a spark of hope.

“ _I'm here!”_ she mouthed through the cracked glass, and the drone hovered, then it rose up and turned away and headed skyward.

“ _Please find me, Dad!”_ she whispered, then she heard a gunshot downstairs and it echoed upwards and she gave a sob.

“I'm sorry,” she said as she thought of Ruby, then she wiped away the image etched in grime and took a step back and sank down into the corner.

As the cuff slid back to her wrist, she turned her hand, saw the shredded layer of skin, then the deeper wound below it. The wound was still bleeding and she quickly assessed the damage: It could have been worse. But it meant she couldn't slide that cuff up from her wrist again, not without causing worse injury. It would heal, it needed a couple of stitches where the cuffs had cut deep, the rest was the loss of skin, she could live with it...

“ _Okay Doctor Mooney, use your skills with the limited resources you have...”_ she muttered, and she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, then leaned close to her bleeding hand and kept one corner of the fabric between her teeth as she used her only free hand to wrap and then tie the injury securely.

“ _Not a bad job at all,”_ she said to herself as she took a breath slowly to try and breathe through the pain, _“Nice work, Doc Baby Fish...that should stem the bleeding... Now to hide it...”_ she pulled down the sleeve of her jacket, covering the bandage, then she sat against the wall with her injured hand low to the floor, trying to rest it as it pressed against the cold pipe. She briefly closed her eyes.

“ _Now, some slow breaths to get through this infernal pain... think of the drone. It saw you, Dad's on his way, you know it....Not long now, it's all over soon...”_

And as her hand throbbed and her wrist ached to the bone as beneath the makeshift bandage, raw flesh pained her deeply, she looked to the bomb set in the middle of the room as she recalled all Jeremiah had said about the remote control and how to deactivate from the central device. She was sure when help arrived, that information would be important – maybe even more important than her getting out of here alive. _She had to stop those bombs before it was too late..._

 

As soon as the call came through, Oswald snatched up his phone.

“What do you have for me?” he said urgently, and then he listened, “Show me!” he ordered.

As the footage came through and started to play, Molly and Victor stood close, watching as it played:

The view of the ground below showed an old abandoned industrial park. The drone dipped, heading for old cracked windows, then it moved on to the next building, flying up high as on the ground below, armed men were seen dumping a body outside an abandoned factory. Then the drone went lower to the highest level of the building, and as they saw the image drawn in grime on the window, hope sparked in Oswald's eyes – someone had drawn a doodle of an umbrella and beneath was a fish, a _little_ fish... _a Baby Fish_... Then as the drone flew up close, her image was visible through the window saying the words, _I'm here!_

Oswald breathed a relieved sigh.

“Oh thank god! Well done, River!” then he looked sharply to Victor, “I know where that place is!”

“So do I,” Victor replied, “I'll make the calls, get the guys organised and on their way. Then we can take a drive over there – it's on the other side of town, the roads are open... we can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Yes, do that,” Oswald said, “Molly and I will wait for you outside. We'll take my car. You can drive, Victor.”

Molly slid the rusty knife into her jacket as she thought of Velaska and the fact that River was still trapped. She had seemed unharmed in the video, but there was another twenty minutes or more before they could even begin to try and reach her. She wasn't safe yet...

Molly and Oswald left the house and waited in the car, as they sat in the back together she could feel tension rising from her husband like static crackling in the air.

“We're going to get her out,” she reminded him, “And she will be okay!”

Oswald turned his head and met her gaze.

“ _And today is the day I kill Velaska,”_ he vowed.

Then Victor hurried from the house, got in the car and fired up the engine. Wheels turned up a flurry of gravel as the car took off at speed, as Victor fixed his sights on the road ahead and he thought of Baby Fish, while in the back, Molly took hold of Oswald's hand and they exchanged a glance. Today wasn't just about stopping a manic from destroying the city, it was about family, it was about saving River – and for Oswald, once he knew his daughter was safe, the rest was about revenge that was long overdue...

 

River's rest was a short one, as the elevator ascended and the door was slammed back, she took hold of the handcuff and carefully slid it back up the pipe as she got to her feet, taking care not to disturb the dressing or the wound beneath it. Jeremiah had returned alone and his eyes shone darkly as an evil grin spread across his face.

“In half an hour I leave to meet your father at a location not too far from here. It's by the river, _River!_ And that's where he's going to die...”

He was up close to her, his hand was on her shoulder, then it slid down her arm and rested there. River recalled the drone and knew at once that meeting he was expecting would not take place – her Dad was on the way here with back up. But Jeremiah didn't know that...

What ever darkness and raw need to do what ever it took to survive, that urge that had led her to giving Ruby an ice pick lobotomy, was rising again. And she didn't know where this dark streak in her soul came from, maybe from her mother, or perhaps her father, or maybe, both of them...But now she was grateful for it as she carefully unfolded the stolen knife in her pocket as she locked her gaze with Velaska's.

“I really don't want you to kill me,” she said in a low voice, “And I don't want you to kill my Dad, either. Please Jeremiah, I'll do what ever you want if you spare my father's life... I see now that I need to be compliant. There is no way out for me...” she blinked several times as her eye missed its much needed monocle and as it watered, what ran down her face looked like a tear as despair echoed in her voice. And Jeremiah's eyes lit up with glee.

“Ah, little River. So weak and easy to bend to my will...” his hand closed over her arm as he leaned in closer.

River parted her lips, leaning towards him as their bodies connected. Then as he felt something like a punch to his gut, he gave a gasp and staggered back, in time to see the concealed blade River had jabbed through the fabric of her jacket slip out of his body with the ease of a warm knife through butter. She pulled the blade back as its narrow tip gleamed with a small amount of blood that fell to the ground and made a wet, crimson stain. Now there was a throbbing deep in his body as he looked down and saw a tiny bloodstain seep through his suit. There was so little blood, but he felt as if all his strength was draining away.

“ _What the hell did you do?”_ he yelled as weakness made him stagger clumsily backwards and he leaned against the glowing explosive for support. In that moment, as she looked at him, he saw the icy gaze of Oswald Cobblepot reflected in her eyes, and heard the cool tone of Fish Mooney in her voice as she explained:  
_ “This is the beauty of a stiletto blade.  _ __ It has a  _ _ _narrow cross section and its tip tapers to a slender point, this reduces friction upon entry, allowing the_ __blade_ _ _to penetrate deeply and its tip to work almost like a scalpel... Which is useful for me, because I'm a doctor, and I know exactly where all the major arteries are! I also know how to make the deepest and tiniest of wounds in exactly the right place... You're feeling shock right now, that's the internal bleeding and the fact that you've been stabbed. I expect you to pass out for a short while, then you'll wake up with your belly slowly filling with blood - and you'd better hope you have enough hours left for a surgeon to open you up and find the source of that bleed. I'm sure if you leave now, it will be just fine – someone will care enough to save you....” her eyes narrowed, “Someone will, but NOT me!”_

Jeremiah opened his mouth but no words came out as he slumped heavily to the floor. River breathed a heavy sigh, then she folded the blade and her gaze fell on the silver key nearby... it was close, but not close enough, even if she reached out with the open blade, she would not be able to reach that key...

Then she wondered how long the guards would stay away. Jeremiah had clearly instructed them to leave, to allow him time alone with her... but it would be for no more than half an hour, because he was planning to pull her father into a trap. And her Dad was probably on the way here right now, she hoped, as she guessed it would be a very narrow margin of time before her attack was discovered and rescue arrived. There was also the fact that Jeremiah wouldn't be out cold for long. That bleed would be slow. He would wake up from this, he would get back to his feet and then, if help had not arrived, she was very much out of options...

“ _Come on Dad, get me out of here!”_ she exclaimed as she stood chained to the pipe, feeling the minutes ticking away as if her life was now something comparable to an hourglass, and the sand had almost run out...

 

Back at the house, Cain was sitting on the floor watching TV as Julian sat on the sofa with Iris. She had put the gun high up on a shelf, away from Oswald's five year old son, and as her gaze shifted to it again, Julian gave her hand a squeeze.

“It's okay, we're safe here,” he told her.

She looked sadly into his eyes.

“Yes, we probably are. But it doesn't stop me worrying about River or everyone else involved in this mess. I just hope no one gets hurt today.”

Worry reflected in his gaze.

“I don't want Uncle Oz to get hurt. I love him, I wish he was my dad...” then he remembered Oswald's plan to have official records altered and he smiled as enthusiasm shone in his eyes, “As soon as he gets that favour done and I become Julian Cobblepot, I will be his son, legally....” his smile faded, “I never had love from my family before, not like I do now. I'm scared something might go wrong, what if River can't bring me back?”

Panic was creeping into his eyes. Iris shifted closer and cradled his face in her hands as she looked at him intently, wishing he had not mentioned her worst fear.

“Listen to me,” she said firmly, “River knows what she's doing. She said it's been done many times before, and she's confident she can give you your life back. I believe her and so should you.”

“I never used to care about the future,” Julian said as he blinked away tears, “When I was in Ashecliffe, I just thought that was the end, that I'd die there. I never knew I'd have this new start and so much to look forward to. Now I'm scared of losing it!”

“You wont!” she promised, and then she hugged him tightly.

And then a sound cut through the air, coming from the back of the house and just audible over the TV as Cain watched a cartoon: _It was the unmistakeable sound of glass breaking..._

“What was that?” Cain said as he got up and looked to the open door that led to the hallway.

Iris got up and grabbed the gun from the shelf as Julian grabbed his cane and stood up, then he looked nervously to the door as they heard low voices and footsteps.

“Shit!” he said, “They've come for us!”

Iris drew in a frightened breath as she held the gun in a two handed grip and raised it, preparing to fire.

“What's happening?” Cain said loudly.

“ _Shh!”_ Iris told him, _“They're dangerous!”_

“Cain... Cain, come on, this way...” Julian whispered, and he beckoned to him as he made his way over to a nearby door and opened it quietly, and Cain hurried after him and took hold of his hand.

“Be careful,” Iris said.

“Don't worry about us, you be careful!” he said in a low voice as fear reflected in his gaze, then he led Cain into the dining room and closed the door quietly.

Iris backed up against the open door that led out to the hallway, then she peered through the gap and her eyes widened in alarm: _There were three intruders armed with guns, and they all had faces painted like evil clowns..._

 

As they reached their destination, Victor parked the car in the shadow of crumbling walls where what had once been a building was now in ruins. They were not alone, now armed men were emerging from the nearby road, and as they made their way over with weapons ready, Molly breathed a relieved sigh. These were Penguin's men, this time, they had back up right from the start... “I'm going to speak to my guys and then they will lead the assault,” Oswald said, “And Victor, I want you to go straight in and find River. She should be on the top floor. Velaska is mine. Molly, you're with me.”

Too right I am!” she said, and Oswald got out of the car and she followed as Victor got out and checked his weapon.

As Oswald gave instruction to his people, Molly stood there, looking past the rubble to the rooftop of the old factory where River was held prisoner. Then her gaze shifted back to her husband as she felt a spike of fear and she recalled that dream and what Fish had said about losing him. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but he was about to head into battle and there was no time for sentiment. As Penguin's men began to move out, Victor followed, then as her husband turned to go with them, she joined him as she drew her weapon, her sights set on their destination. _This was going to be messy, but River was worth it, and those bombs had to be shut down..._

 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 

Jeremiah was motionless on the floor. As she watched him, River could see no hint of an outward bleed as he lay there, and she wondered if the blade had gone deep enough. Then he raised his head sharply as he revived and glared at her.

“ _I'm going to kill you!”_ he raged as he got to his feet fast – _much_ faster than she had expected, and as he lunged she reached for the blade but he slammed her free arm against the wall as she yelled out, and as the sound of gunfire cut through the air, a look of alarm registered in his eyes.

“I'll deal with you later!” he snarled, and smacked her head against the wall. River heard the reassuring sound of more gun fire, there was a battle raging outside and that gave her hope – but she had seen sparks in front of her eyes as he had slammed her head, and now the world was turning dark. She slid to the floor in a daze as Jeremiah hurried back towards the elevator, only pausing once to clutch at his body as an ache flickered deep inside.

 

As bullets flew thick and fast, Penguin's men ducked and dived for cover as they took their chances to return fire. The biggest disadvantage to the environment of brick and concrete meant every time a bullet hit a wall it took out debris that flew about almost as lethally as the bullets as tiny shards of brick shattered on impact. Victor had already shot his way through towards the entrance, and as more men spilled out from the factory, their bodies were peppered by machine gun fire as blood exploded from wounds punched into flesh.

As fire came back their way Molly ducked behind a crumbling wall, and a bullet clipped the corner and she dived for the ground as more shattered brickwork exploded. As Oswald returned fire and then machine guns sprayed more rounds of bullets, more concrete and brickwork shattered and as he cried out sharply and ducked down, Molly was dragging him back as he held a hand to his head and she pushed him up against the wall, swiftly grabbing him and dragging his hand away from the wound.

“ _What the fuck happened, Oswald?”_ she yelled above the hail of gunfire.

“ _I'm fine!”_ he insisted.

Then as a small thin line of blood ran down from a wound above his brow where a brick fragment had glanced him, she realised it was superficial and felt instant relief, and as he wiped away the blood, she took steady aim and fired off three rounds, felling more of the armed men. Then she caught a glimpse of Velaska on the second floor.

“ _Bastard!”_ she yelled, and fired again as a window shattered, but he ducked the exploding glass.

Oswald had been watching the battle as gunfire was exchanged, and he saw a way around the main battle via the crumbling wall at the side of the building. It was risky, but if they made it, they could fight off the few at the entrance and get inside.

“ _This way!”_ he called, and as he ducked for cover and ran, Molly followed, as bullets flew in their direction, she returned fire as Oswald tossed aside his empty gun and grabbed a machine gun from one of Velaska's fallen men. They were breathless as they reached the other side of the building, and as Molly picked sharp fragments of brick from the back of her hand, Oswald leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

“I am getting _far_ too old for this!” he exclaimed, and winced in pain as he wiped away more blood from the graze on his brow that was starting to bruise.

“You're too old? Never!” Molly said, “You were born for this, Oswald. Just like I am,” and she gripped her gun tightly and glanced around the corner as Penguin's men fired at the enemy.

“ _Now!_ ” she said, and they ran for the door and made it inside, where they dashed towards the stairway, now out of range of the bullets that rained down outside the factory. Molly was breathing hard as she looked up the stairway.

“ _Where are you Velaska, you fucker?”_ she yelled, and her own voice echoed back at her. 

Just then two armed men ran at them, and as shots were fired, Molly ducked and rolled as Oswald dodged the bullets as they hit the wall and he fired back, peppering one assailant with holes as the other grabbed Molly from behind, she kicked out as a fist slammed into the side of her face and she dragged her arm free of her jacket and struggled out of it, and as the gunman looked up, she was up too, and her eyes blazed with fury as she slammed into him with head butt, breaking his nose as he staggered back, then she fired once and the bullet smacked into his head and blood and brains exploded up the cracked wall as the body fell hard.

Molly turned to Oswald. She was bruised and her hand was bleeding, he was still bleeding from the shard of brick work and the wound was swelling as the bruise came up.

“Let's find River,” she said, and he nodded and looked to the elevator.

“The elevator will be faster – if it works,” he added.

Then they heard the creak of a door, and as they exchanged a glance, they turned from the elevator and hurried down a passageway, towards another room, where the door was still swinging behind _someone_ who had just fled through it...

 

The room turned out to be vast, and partly filled at one end with stacks of dust covered wooden crates. The area was supported by thick metal pillars that lined the centre of it, and as they heard footsteps, Molly could only hear Oswald take a heavy breath as he raised his weapon and she did the same.

“ _He's in here...”_ she whispered as she clutched her gun tightly.

“ _Molly,”_ Oswald said in a low voice as his gaze darted about the room to spot a sign of movement, “If you hit him first, _don't_ kill him – this is _my_ fight. I've waited five years for this chance.”

Just then a single shot split the silence and Molly yelled out as she clutched at her arm and blood flowed freely from the wound. As rage overtook the pain, she fired back, seeing a flash of Velaska's coat as she fired off four rounds and one clipped a metal pillar and ricocheted off and embedded in the wall. From behind the pillar, Velaska was pressed tight to the thick metal, his gun poised.

“You'll have to do better than that!” he taunted, and then he laughed, “I have you right where I want you!”

Oswald glanced at Molly as she took her hand away from the bloody wound. The bullet had clipped her, tearing away a chunk of flesh. Rage burned in her eyes as she raised her gun. Oswald clutched his own weapon and they both made the choice at the same time.

“Fuck it,” Molly muttered, “Let's end this!”

“I couldn't agree more!” Oswald said, and as she ran at the pillar firing off shots and Velaska fired back and she ducked and fired again, Oswald took the other side, spraying machine gun fire.

Velaska darted through the hail of fire, dodging most shots, but then a bullet sank into his shoulder and another grazed his thigh, tearing fabric as the wound turned bloody, then as he stopped and turned back sharply, he raised his gun and aimed it at Oswald, who had his gun trained back on his enemy as the two men faced one another, both wounded, both determined to end this the only way it could end – with only one of them getting out alive.

As he kept his aim steady, Velaska smiled as his eyes glittered darkly.

“I have seven bombs ready to blow,” he stated, “And I'm going to kill you - _after_ I press these buttons and destroy your precious city...”

He reached into his pocket. That was the moment his expression changed as he recalled passing out after River had stabbed him.  _His pocket was empty..._ Oswald saw his expression change, and so had Molly. 

“Is there a problem?” said Oswald with a smirk as he sensed impending victory.

Then Velaska felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned his head, Molly's face was bruised and her vest was spattered with blood and her eyes blazed.

“Fucked up again, have you?” she said darkly, and slammed a fist into his face.

As he hit the floor and the gun slipped from his grip, Molly kicked it away and looked to her husband.

“ _He's all yours, Oswald,”_ she stated.

And Velaska was struggling to pick himself up from the floor as that pain throbbed again deep inside his belly. And now all he could see was Penguin standing over him, as fury blazed in his eyes and he cast his gun aside with a heavy clatter, ready to use his fists to deal out the revenge that had waited five long years.

“No guns, just fists, like last time,” he said darkly, “And this time, _I_ am the one who has the upper hand – it's _my_ turn, Jeremiah!”

 

Back at the house, as the first armed assailant entered the room, Iris fired off three rounds and blood hit the wall as the gunman cried out sharply and crashed to the ground. But the other two had come running and she fired again and again in panic, losing the last three bullets as holes peppered the wall and the final shot would have got the clown faced intruder in the chest – but all she heard was an empty _click_.

She smashed the gun in the face of her attacker, then kicked out, hitting him squarely in the groin and as he fell, she aimed a kick to the head that cracked his neck with a snap. As she turned around, the third one lunged, and they both crashed to the ground, struggling as she ducked punches and tried to recall all she had remembered about self defence. She had never been taught to take out three armed crazy people at once...

As she struggled, desperation kicked in and she sunk her teeth into the face of her attacker, who screamed as she tasted blood and that split second was enough to kick and punch and roll free and as he got up, Iris grabbed a heavy iron poker from where it sat beside the fireplace. She didn't think, she didn't hesitate. The crack as she brought it down on his skull sent him sideways, and as he lay there breathing hard, she looked back at the closed door, and thought of Cain, five years old and helpless, and Julian, unable to defend himself because of the damage done to him at Shutter Island. _No one else was going to die, except this bastard who had broken in with the others, this bastard who was still breathing..._ She brought the poker down again, and the dent left in the head of the attacker made her want to gag as she looked away and then dropped the poker back into its place beside the fire. Then Iris stepped away from the bodies as she gave a sob of relief, and she took a few breaths to recover from the ordeal and then ran through to the next room and closed the door firmly behind her.

“It's okay, I got them... Julian, Cain? Where _are_ you?”

She looked about the dining room.

“You're safe!” she called again.

Then she heard a movement from under the table and as Julian and Cain crawled out from their hiding place, she breathed a relieved sigh.

“Sorry you had to do it on your own,” Julian said as he grabbed at the edge of the table and got up.

“There were three of them,” Iris said, “I took them all out. I ran out of bullets, too. It got messy. We'd better not let him go in the other room...” and she glanced to Cain.

“Why not?” Cain asked as he looked up at her.

“Because it's not very tidy in there right now,” Iris said, looking into the eyes of Oswald's five year old son, “And the bad people made a mess. Grown ups have to clean it up.”

“What if more of them show up?” Julian asked.

“I don't think there will be more,” Iris said as she gave a shiver, “I know what they were sent here to do – they knew Oswald wouldn't be here. I think they were sent to kill everyone else...” as she spoke her voice was low and she glanced discreetly to Cain, and Julian understood at once: _Velaska had sent the gunman to kill the rest of Oswald's family..._

“We should go upstairs,” he said, “Uncle Oz keeps a shotgun in the bedroom, I can fetch it if we need it.”

“I've never used a shotgun,” Iris said.

Julian thought about the tremor in his hand, then he found a flicker of courage as he thought about Iris and the danger she had just faced.

“If it comes to it, I'll use it,” he said, “You take Cain upstairs, I'll go and find out where they broke in... somewhere a window needs to be blocked up.”

“You'll need my help.”

“No,” he replied, “You look after Cain, I'll handle this, I'm sure it won't be difficult.”

Iris led Cain from the room and then towards the stairs, telling him to hurry as she kept him turned away from the sight of the bodies bleeding out on the floor. Julian went down the hallway and into the kitchen, where he found the glass in the back door shattered, and then he looked to the kitchen table and as he leaned on his cane he swore under his breath guessing he couldn't use it to block the window, he was too weak with the nerve damage to his hand and his leg.

“What would Oz do?” he asked aloud, then the only answer he concluded was, he would use the table. _And His Uncle Oz also walked with a limp, but he would have got that table up there..._

“I can do this,” he said as determination burned in his gaze, and then he started moving the chairs out of the way, planning to turn the table and then push it up against the door. Maybe it wouldn't block all of it, but it would stop anyone else coming through this way...

 

Victor Zsasz had reached the top floor of the factory, shooting his way past four armed guards as he headed for the room where the drone had spotted River, and as he entered the room and saw two more guards watching over a large, glowing device in the middle of the room, they pulled their weapons, but his were ready and he fired off both guns, sending them sprawling to the ground in a hail of bullets. Then he holstered his smoking guns, spotted River cuffed to a pipe in the corner of the room, her hand was wrapped up and bloodstained, her cheek was bruised, but she was alive and thankfully, she was more or less unharmed. As she picked herself up from the floor and looked at him, relief shone in her eyes. As he made his way over to her, he saw the discarded key and picked it up, and as he unlocked the cuff and freed her, River breathed a deep sigh of relief as she cautiously rubbed at her aching wrist.

“I wanted to get out myself but I was trapped in that damned corner!” she exclaimed.

“Let's get you out of here,” Victor said as he smiled, “No one puts Baby Fish in a corner!”

“What?” she asked, still feeling dazed from that blow to the head.

“Dirty Dancing... never mind, let's go -”

“No, wait! We can shut down the bombs...” she ran over to the glowing device, snatching up the remote control dropped by Velaska when he passed out.

“We can?” said Victor in surprise.

River's wrist was still aching and she rubbed it again as she paused to recall all she had learned.

“I hope so! The devices can only be shut down via this one if I use the password to deactivate – and then the other bombs shut off and this one goes into a three minute countdown.”

“What's the password?”

She shook her head.

“I don't know!”

“Where's Velaska?”

“I don't know that either! He could have a spare remote for this thing...”

Victor looked to the device and then to River.

“We have to do this,” he said, and then he kicked hard at a panel and as it came loose, he wrenched it free. The inside of the device had a small crawl space and it was lit up, with wires and controls above it.

“I'll go in,” River said, “I'm small enough to fit.”

“What if we get the password wrong?”

“I don't know.”

She was already crawling in, and as she turned over and laid on her back, she looked up, her body half inside the structure as she studied a panel, and as she hit  _ Cancel _ , the glow darkened as the panel lit up again, and she counted eight letters, their spaces blank as the squares glowed red.

_ Enter Password _ shone in blue above it. She took a deep breath.

“Okay, its eight letters, Victor!”

He paced the floor as outside, the shots began to fade out. He glanced to the window and saw most of the dead were Velaska's men.

“What would Velaska use as a password?” he heard River say as her voice sounded hollow inside the machinery.

“Something significant...  _ Powerful _ ?”

“Good thinking.”

She keyed in the letters. The word glowed red, then vanished as the boxes glowed red once more.

“No, it's not right.”

Victor leaned in the crawlspace and looked down at her as she looked up at him.

“I've missed you!” he said, and she couldn't help but smile despite the gravity of the situation.

“I missed you too. Give me another word!”

Victor thought about it.

“ _Mr J is God?”_

“That sounds like his way of thinking...”

She tried it. The squares turned red again. Then Victor's phone rang and he moved back out of the crawlspace and got up to answer it.

“Iris!” he said in surprise, “Is everything okay?”

Outside, the last of the gun fire faded out.

“Three gunman broke in but I killed them.”

“Good work. Is everyone okay?”

“Yes. Have you found River? Are you guys okay?”

“River's right here. As far as I know everyone is just fine... we should be out of here soon. Can you think of an eight letter word that Velaska might use, we need his password for something.”

“Is it important?”

He looked to the device and thought of the other bombs. Iris didn't need that kind of pressure at a time like this...

“It  _ might _ be...”

“ _ Destroyer _ ? No, that's too long...Wait, he's known as Joker... so,  _ Joker _ , something?”

Then he heard Julian speak in the background as Iris said, _ They need Velaska's password,  _ and he said,  _ Give me the phone... _

“Victor,” said Julian, “What's he like as a person? What sort of word sums him up?”

Victor thought about it.

“He's power crazy. He would take this city at any cost, he wouldn't care.”

“So he likes to rule over everyone... a bit like the man who raised me... let me think...”

There was a long pause.

“Hurry up!” Victor heard River say, “I'm out of ideas for this thing and I don't know how many guesses we get and there's bound to be a trap in here...”

“Julian, think faster if you can, please?” said Victor as he tried not to yell.

“I'm still thinking...” Julian replied, and Victor gave a sigh as he wondered if Julian, with all the damage done to him at Ashecliffe, was the right person to be asking such a difficult question.

“Maybe you should put Iris back on the phone?” he suggested.

“No, wait I think I have it,” Julian said, “Something powerful ... Dominion! Try dominion!”

“Julian says try dominion,” Victor said.

“Ah that could be possible..  _ Dominion _ ...” River said from inside the device, “Meaning to rule, to have control...” she keyed in the letters. The word lit up green and she heard a beep and snatched the remote from her pocket and hit six of the seven red lights, and they went dark. 

“Bombs disarmed... all but two. When I hit this last button, that sends this device into a three minute countdown... but we don't know if Jeremiah knows we've done this - and he could blow that seventh bomb any minute...”

Victor spoke into the phone.

“Thanks, Julian, it worked,” he said, and then he ended the call and ran to the window, forced the rusty catch and shoved it open.

“ _Clear the area!”_ he yelled, _ “There's a bomb!” _

“We don't have to panic too much... we don't know he has a second remote. As long as I shut number seven down when we clear the factory, this one blows and no one gets hurt,” River said, and she was about to slide out of the crawl space when the password disappeared, replaced with yellow lettering that simply said,  _ Ha ha ha ha.  _

And then, the three minute countdown started.

“ _That bastard!”_ she yelled as she slid out of the crawlspace and got up, looking to Victor with panic in her eyes,  _ “It was a trap! We just triggered the main device!” _

He grabbed her arm and turned for the door.

“We have to get out of here  _ now _ !” he said, and together, they ran from the room and towards the elevator.

“No,” River said urgently, turning for the stairway, “That thing is way too slow. We have to take the stairs!” and they ran instead for the stairway, as the countdown ticked away the first twenty seconds of three minutes before the factory was reduced to rubble...

 

On the ground floor, Oswald had heard shouts as his men yelled something about a bomb, but he was trading blows with Velaska, who was losing as he clutched at his belly and doubled over. Oswald aimed another punch and Velaska hit back and caught him hard on the left side of his face. Oswald slammed him up against the metal pillar and bounced his head off the hard surface and Velaska coughed blood and slid to the floor.

“We should go, someone just said there's a bomb!” Molly exclaimed.

“We have to find Baby Fish first...” Oswald straightened up, aching all over from the fight with his enemy, then as hatred burned in his eyes, he hit him again and Velaska fell face first to the ground. Oswald leaned against the metal pillar to support his damaged leg and laid into him again, with several savage kicks that saw Jeremiah flipped on his side as he coughed blood.

“That's for what you did to me five years back,” he said darkly,  _ “Now, where the fuck is my daughter?” _

“I'm here!” River called as her voice echoed across the room. She had heard the fight and dashed from the open factory door, back down the corridor to find her father beating Velaska to a bloody pulp as Molly stood watching, still clutching her gun. Molly looked bloody and bruised and her father had a cut above his eye.

“ _Get out, there's a bomb, it's going up in two minutes!”_ Victor added as he joined River in the doorway.

Molly looked to Oswald.

“Let's go!”

“ _I want to finish him!”_ Oswald yelled as rage burned in his eyes.

“ _Just go!”_ Molly shouted, and Oswald nodded, but as River and Victor hurried out and Molly made a run for the door, she looked back, and Oswald was still standing over Velaska. He picked up the gun and fired twice as his enemy screamed, and his body jerked as the bullets punched deep, then he glared down at him, watching as Velaska tried to crawl away with bullets in both legs.

“If I were you, I'd make a run for it!” Oswald said coldly as satisfaction shone in his eyes.

Then he turned away and dashed across the room, catching Molly's hand as they ran for the doorway, as Velaska crawled towards the other end of the room, there beyond the boxes, he saw a doorway and could only hope it wasn't locked as he slithered desperately, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Molly was clear of the factory first, pulling Oswald with her as he limped painfully. As Victor and River ran out, they darted around fallen bodies and shattered brickwork and as River stumbled, Victor swept her up into his arms and carried on running. As they cleared the parking area and the remains of the ruined brick wall, the countdown hit zero and there was a boom that shook the ground as the sky was lit with smoke and rubble and fire as the factory exploded.

Oswald still had a grip on Molly's hand as they headed back towards the area where the cars were parked. He looked exhausted as he leaned against one of the vehicles and as smoke and the stink of fire drifted cloudy towards them, he coughed.

“You did it,” Molly said as she stood in front of him and gripped his shoulders, “River's safe. Velaska is dead -”

“We don't know that...” Oswald's gaze shifted briefly to the heavy black smoke that hung in the air, “I want to be sure -”

“He's dead!” Molly repeated, then she pulled him close, hugging him tightly as more smoke swirled about the aftermath of the blast.

As they were joined by Victor and River, Victor was still carrying her and he set her down on the ground beside his car as he looked to his boss.

“Penguin, I'll help the guys clean up, we need to move our people out before the cops arrive. You go home with Molly and Baby Fish.”

“Thank you, Victor,” Oswald said as gratitude shone in his weary gaze, then he put his arm around his daughter and hugged her, before leading her back to his car as Molly followed.

 

As they started on the drove home, Molly noticed Oswald was in pain as he shifted his damaged leg and focussed on the road.

“I've never seen you move so fast!” she exclaimed, “You actually _ ran _ , Oswald!”

He smiled as he glanced at her.

“There's nothing like the word  _ bomb _ to make me forget my pain!”

River was sitting in the back of the car, resting against the seat as she rubbed at her aching wrist.

“Are you okay, Baby Fish?” Oswald asked.

“I'll be fine,” River assured him, “I just need to clean up my hand, then I'm taking some much needed rest.”-

“You've certainly earned it,” Oswald agreed as they took the road that would lead them back home. Then River remembered something.

“The other seven bombs were only cancelled out because I got the password that triggered the main device. Iris called to say three of Velaska's people broke in – don't worry, she took them out, everyone is fine – and then I was talking about the password and I couldn't figure it out and neither could Iris. Julian came up with the answer.”

Oswald started to smile.

“As soon as my contact has completed the job of rewriting my past and changing some official records, Julian will be, in the eyes of the law, my biological son. And when you've got him through this crisis with the damage they caused him on Shutter Island, River, I have plans for that young man.  _ I have decided there is a place for him in the underworld – at my side _ .”

Molly shot him a look of surprise.

“ _ Julian? _ He's not a fighter, Oswald!”

“No,” he agreed, “I'm the one who had to fight to be where I am today. If I introduce him as my eldest son, he will be respected and in time, if I can teach him well enough, he can take over some of my role. With Velaska out of the way, the underworld is at peace once more. Julian can help me with running business until Cain is old enough to take on his legacy.”

“If you think he can do it, I don't doubt it,” Molly replied, “But it's certainly an unexpected decision!”

“I know what I'm doing,” Oswald reassured her.

As they neared the gates of the mansion, River suddenly spoke up.

“What are we going to say to Cain?” she exclaimed, “We all look like we've been in a fight and we stink of smoke from the explosion. I don't think even the big slide will cover this...”

Molly laughed.

“Leave it to me,” she said, “I'll come up with something!”

 

As the car stopped in the driveway and Oswald turned off the engine, he felt weary as he got out, aching all over from the battle and hurting from the wound to his head and the fight with Velaska. Then the front door opened and all his pains and the dull ache in his damaged leg suddenly didn't matter as Cain ran towards him.

“ _Daddy!”_ he yelled joyfully, and as he ran into his waiting embrace, Oswald held him tightly.

“I've missed you, son,” he said, “But we're home now. Everyone is safe.”

Then as Molly and River joined him, Cain let go of his Dad and looked at Molly in alarm. Then he noticed his father looked battered and bruised and so did his mother, and so did his big sister. River had a bruise on her face and her nose had been bleeding and there was a bloodstained bandage around her hand...

“What happened?” he exclaimed, “You all smell like fireworks!”

Molly looked to her husband, then to River, and finally, as her injured arm ached, she covered the wound with her hand as she spoke to her son.

“Actually Cain, something bad happened today...You know how I always say never play with matches?”

His eyes grew wide.

“Oh no, what happened?” he asked as he looked up at her.

“Well,” she said, “We stopped off at the park on the way home and I found a box of matches... and some fireworks... and you know how I always say don't go near a lit firework?”

Cain nodded.

“I took a big rocket from the box and I lit it but it didn't go off. So I went back and picked it up and threw it in the box,” Molly said as her son gasped, “And then the whole box exploded!”

“I told her not to do it,” River said.

“I told her too,” Oswald added.

Cain looked up at his mother.

“Mommy,  _ never  _ play with matches!” said her little boy, “Or fireworks! You've been naughty, you should go to your room right now and stay there!”

Molly smiled as she glanced at Oswald.

“I think I shall be going upstairs to our room too, with naughty Mommy,” he added, “Right after we get cleaned up!”

Then Iris and Julian joined them as they reached the open front door.

“Cain,” said Iris, “Come with me,”a nd as Cain hurried off inside, Julian explained the rest.

“Three guys broke in with guns. They broke the glass in the kitchen door. Iris took them out and I blocked up the door with the table and then I fetched your shot gun, Uncle Oz. But I didn't need to use it, I just put it back in your room when I saw the car in the driveway.”

“Did Cain see the intruders?” Molly asked.

Julian shook his head.

“I hid with him while Iris stopped them, then she took him upstairs and after I blocked the door I dragged the bodies out to the garage. I cleaned up the blood, too. I'm not sure about the bullet holes in the wall - I didn't know what to do about that.”

Oswald smiled fondly as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

“You did a great job!” he assured him, “I'm very proud of you!”

“I did my best,” Julian said with a smile, and then as Oswald limped into the house, Molly paused to hug him.

“I'm proud of you too,” she promised.

“And you helped to save the city,” River reminded him, “You helped me figure out Velaska's password and we shut down his bombs,” then as she clutched at her aching hand, she spoke again, “I think you're making a far better recovery than anyone expected,” she told him as they went inside and she closed the door behind them, “And that can only mean you'll make an even better recovery after I finish treating you.”

“You mean after I die?” he said as worry flickered in his gaze.

“After we carry out phase two. I won't call it bringing you back from the dead, no more talk about that, it's too scary, isn't it. But yes,  _ afterwards, _ when I've  _ healed _ you, that's when I think you will make a far better recovery than you believe is possible.”

“I hope you're right,” he said, but the sudden reminder of his uncertain future had left him feeling uneasy once more, “I … I need to find Iris...” he added quickly, then as he walked off and headed for the stairs, the front door opened again and Victor walked in.

“River, tell your Dad we all got out before the cops showed up – we only left Velaska's men behind, the place was littered with bodies -”

“And there are three more here in the garage,” River told him, “Get rid of them now, Victor – my Dad's very tired, and we need those corpses gone.”

Victor gave a sigh.

“Yes, Baby Fish,” he said, then he leaned in and kissed her, and left by the front door again.

 

Two hours later, after River had got herself cleaned up and properly dressed the wound to her hand, she had waited for Molly and Oswald to both grab a shower and then she had treated their wounds too. Molly needed three stitches to her arm, but her father had just needed his cuts cleaned up and the wound on his brow covered with a small dressing. Thankfully, this time they had clashed with Velaska, they had come off considerably lighter than before.

As she laid back on the bed with Oswald beside her, Molly gave a deep sigh. She ached all over and felt sure she would be eternally grateful to Iris and Julian for their kind offer to watch over Cain for the rest of the day. Pain registered on Oswald's face as he stretched out his damaged leg, and Molly turned on her side and draped her arm over his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Tomorrow,” she promised, “When I can move again, I'll give you a massage. I know that leg of yours is hurting a lot today.”

Oswald shifted closer as he pulled the covers up over her wounded arm, and then he softly kissed her.

“I'm going to reschedule my usual meeting with the gang leaders for the end of the week.”

Molly groaned.

“Do it next week!”

“There will be questions about Velaska. I have to be sure my answers are satisfactory – I had no time to call in their assistance, I happened to be in the area and learned the location of his hide out... “

“Leave it until next week!” Molly repeated, sounding weary, “You need to rest. You went through a lot today.”

“So did you, my dear.”

“And I'm fine,” Molly promised with a smile, “Don't worry about me, Oswald. As long as you're okay, I'm happy, I've got peace of mind.”

“I'm going to have a family meeting tomorrow,” Oswald added, “I want everyone in the dining room, at the table, so I can explain the plans to change Julian's identity. I believe River wants to speak to him and Iris about plans for the...  _ inevitable _ , too. She is concerned that when he deteriorates, it could happen rapidly and she wants him to be ready for that.”

“But she can bring him back easily?”

Worry reflected in Oswald's eyes.

“She said there's a small risk the procedure may fail due to the amount of treatment she will have to give the damaged brain tissue before she can revive him. She's going to explain it all carefully so he understands. And at some point tomorrow, I need to talk to River about her mother. She needs to know the truth.”

Molly gave a heavy sigh. One trouble was over, yet more were looming – this time, it was about family concerns, and none of them were easy to handle...

“What a day tomorrow will be,” she said in a tired voice as she held him tighter and closed her eyes.

“It will work out just fine, my love,” Oswald's breath felt warm against her ear as he spoke softly, “Do not worry. All will be well.”

_ I hope you're right about that, Oswald... _ she thought silently, then as exhaustion took over, she drifted into a much needed sleep in her husband's arms, where she rested all night as they recovered together.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 

In the morning, April had returned home. River had been up first, and was overjoyed her adopted daughter was finally back where she belonged. April noticed the bruises and the dressing to her hand, and River had told her everything. After April had cried and hugged her and River had assured her that she was just fine, she had calmed down enough to grab some breakfast before having a joyful reunion with Cain, who had bounced into the kitchen and yelled  _ April's back, Yay! _ at the top of his voice. River had explained to April that Oswald needed to speak with the rest of the family about something important, and that she would explain to her later, because...  _ I've already guessed, my job is to play with Cain outside while you talk?  _ April had said, and River had smiled. 

“You read my mind!” she exclaimed.

River still had a smile on her face as she had her second coffee and sat down at the table, her thoughts wandering back to waking in Victor's arms as he kissed her and said, _ Good morning, Penguin... _ then on seeing the look of annoyance on her face he had laughed, adding,  _ Lady Penguin... beautiful lady Penguin! _ Then they had kissed and embraced and made love and for River, that was all she needed to confirm that everything was right in her world once more. After all she had been through, life felt reassuringly back to normal - apart from when she thought back to the violence she had been driven to. It still bothered her that she had found such darkness inside her to carry out such evil deeds, and she wasn't even sure if she could talk to Victor about it, but she wanted to, later, when she felt ready...

 

April was outside with Cain when the family gathered around the table in the dining room. Oswald stiffly took his place at the head of the table and then looked around at his family, pausing before speaking.

“Any day now I will get a call from a powerful contact who owes me a favour. They will confirm that legally, thanks to alterations of official documents and historical records, Julian Lambrick does not exist. Julian will now be Julian Cobblepot, my eldest son. There's quite an emotional tale from my youth that's been fabricated to make this believable, and anyone who looked into would certainly believe it. There's a risk that Shepard Lambrick may turn up here and if he does...” he looked directly at Julian who was sat next to Iris, “ _ Don't _ be afraid of him! As soon as I get that call, the law is on my side and no one will believe he ever had a son. So if he turns up here, as far as this family is aware, Julian is my son, and your brother, River.”

River smiled at Julian.

“You said I was like a sister. You're getting your wish!”

“And I always wanted Uncle Oz to be my Dad,” Julian added, and Oswald briefly recalled that day by the Gotham river so many years before, and warmth filled his heart.

“Are you sure I'm supposed to be here?” Victor asked as he looked across the table at his boss.

“Yes, Victor, because you're family now. You're with River. You were a part of this family long before the two of you became close. Also I have a job for you...” and he drew something out of his pocket and set it on the table.

“Oh my god!” Molly exclaimed, “You kept it?”

There was a sneaky smile on Oswald's face as he nodded, then turned back to Victor, “Eventually, Shepard will turn up in Gotham. When he does, I want you to plant this in his car.”

Victor picked up the remote control and chuckled.

“Velaska's remote for the bombs! Good thinking, Penguin, I love it! I wonder what the cops will make of this!”

“Enough to lock Shepard away forever!” Oswald said as he smiled brightly, “Which keeps him away from us – and he will never be able to run projects like the Tetch two virus ever again.”

“I married a genius,” Molly said with a smile as she reached under the table and gave his thigh an unexpected squeeze. Oswald's face flushed.

“I am not one to boast, but my genius has been remarked upon before, my dear. However, I try to remain modest!”

Then he paused for thought.

“That's all I wanted to say – Julian will soon be a Cobblepot and every single one of us must stick to that story as if it's real. And this will mean lying to Cain because of his young age, but I know he will be thrilled when we tell him he has an older brother.”

“It's going to make him happy,” Molly agreed, “And there's no other way to get it across to a five year old. I'm okay with that.”

“And April will be fine too, I'll explain the truth to her,” River added, “And if that is all, I think now I should have a private chat with you, Julian. I need to talk to you about our plans for phase two of your treatment. Iris, you can come too.”

Then she got up and Julian felt glad of her support as he thought about his uncertain future as he and Iris left the room, following River as she led them off towards the kitchen.

Now they had left the room, Molly gave a heavy sigh.

“All this planning will be for nothing if she can't bring him back when the time comes,” she said quietly.

“She won't fail,” Oswald assured her, and as she saw certainty in her husband's eyes, Molly silently hoped he was right - Oswald had complete faith in River to do this, but even River had said nothing was guaranteed...

 

As River sat in the kitchen with Iris and Julian and they had coffee, River tried to choose her words carefully as she explained the situation.

“I can't say when this situation will change for you,” she said to Julian, “Right now, you're very well, compared to how you were when you first arrived. This could go on for days or weeks or months - or maybe not. I don't know. But I do want to start scanning you every week to look for changes so I can see how the damage is progressing. We can start that from next week. How do you feel about the second phase, Julian?”

He looked at Iris, then to River, and as he spoke his voice was hushed.

“I'm scared of dying. Even though you said I can come back, I'm scared.”

“When the time comes, I will keep you very comfortable,” she assured him, “You can stay here at home until the end, and then you will be taken to my clinic and I will close it to patients for two weeks and keep you there while I repair the damage and revive you.”

“Two weeks?” Iris exclaimed in alarm, “he's going to be...  _ gone _ for two whole weeks?”

“No,” River said as she shook her head, “The procedure to repair the damage caused by the experiments at Ashecliffe will take around twelve hours. Then I will revive him and keep him sedated while the healing takes place and care for him at the clinic. As soon as he's well enough to be moved, he can come home and then we can look after him here at the house until he's ready to be woken,” she looked at Julian, and as she saw fear in his eyes she wanted to make it vanish, but knew her words would offer little comfort, “You will only be gone for around twelve hours. After that you will be breathing again and your heart will be beating.”

“And you can definitely do this?” Julian asked cautiously.

“There's a small chance it could fail because of the extent of the damage I have to repair,” River replied, “If the regenerative formula doesn't kick in well enough when I use the agent to revive you, it could fail. But it's most likely you will be okay.”

He blinked back tears.

“So it might go wrong, I could die and stay dead?”

“That's a very small risk,” River said, “You will most likely be fine.”

Julian was trembling. Iris closed her hand over his and wished there was something she could do or say to ease his fears.

“There's also another matter I'd like to talk to you about,” River added, “Hugo Strange has created a new technique called memory editing. Your memories will have to be put back after I revive you – we can choose what we put back, we can leave out the bad stuff.”

Julian's eyes widened as he felt a spark of hope.

“I want to forget every bad thing that ever happened in my life, being raised as a Lambrick, all the sick stuff my Dad used to make me watch him do to other people...” he blinked away tears, “I want to forget I was ever in Ashecliffe and most of all, I want to forget what I did to Iris!  _ Please _ make me forget that!”

“I can do that,” River replied and as she looked to Iris, she nodded in agreement.

“He needs to lose that memory,” she told her, “I think that might be why we have a problem.”

“ _No, don't!”_ Julian said as he looked down at the table.

“What problem?” River asked.

Julian shook his head.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“We need to,” Iris reminded him, “I told you, I love you, it doesn't bother me, but I know it upsets you.”

Julian raised a shaking hand as he wiped away tears and then looked up at River, who looked back at him with compassion in her eyes.

“What is this problem?” she asked.

He drew in a breath and gave up on trying to be eloquent as the words got stuck in his head and said it the only way he could:

“I can't fuck... I mean I can't …. _we_ can't … It's me, I can't last and if I try and … _I can't do it!_ ”

Iris stepped in, giving his hand a tight squeeze as she ended his struggle as he stumbled over his own words.

“Julian can't have sex with me,” she said, “he can get hard and if I touch him he can respond but it's over quickly. If he tries to make love, he's unable.”

“Because of my stupid fucking head,” he said tearfully, “because of what they did to me at Ashecliffe!”

“No,” River said softly, “I don't think that's the case at all. I think you remember what you did to Iris while you were infected with the Tetch virus. It's psychological.”

Julian wiped his eyes as resentment sounded heavy in his voice.

“Oh great, another mental condition! What's the next step for me, back to an asylum?”

“You know that won't happen!” River said firmly, “You're not crazy! And if I edit your memory, I can put back exactly what you want – if you can't remember the past, you won't have the trauma, the pstd caused by what you went through on Shutter Island - you won't have any of those issues! And I think if I change the story of how you met Iris, you will find the sexual difficulties disappear. Julian, the treatment to clean out the toxins from the experiments will completely destroy your memory. You will only keep what I put back in. So what do you want me to do?”

He didn't need to think about it.

“I want it to be real,” he said, “The story about Uncle Oz being my Dad. I want to remember my fake past instead of my real one.”

“I can do that,” River told him, leaving out the part that she was not looking forward to meeting with Strange again after pulling a gun on him - but she really would need his help with the memory editing, and asking him for help was something that couldn't be avoided.

“That's all I needed to talk about,” she told him as she got up, “As for the personal problem you're having, I suggest you and Iris talk about things that excite you – fantasies, turn ons, it might relax you a little bit more. On another subject, with your health in general, did you want to discuss anything else?”

“No,” Julian said as he shook his head, “But I do want my memories changed, I definitely want that.”

River smiled.

“Then I shall do that when the time comes,” she promised him, and then she left the room.

As they sat there together, Iris noticed Julian was still tearful and she gave him a tight hug.

“It's going to be fine,” she promised, and then as she pulled back, she smiled.

“You blushed when River mentioned fantasies. Do you want to tell me about it?”

Julian started to smile, then he dropped his voice to a whisper.

“Not here in the kitchen. Later, upstairs, I don't want anyone else to hear me.”

His face had flushed again.

“Sounds exciting!” Iris said as her eyes shone with warmth, “You can tell me later, upstairs in bed. Is it dirty?”

Julian looked down at the table as he nodded.

Iris touched his cheek and he met her gaze, and as she looked into his eyes she knew at once there was nothing his damaged mind could possibly come up with that would falling to the category of  _ dirty _ , but if Julian thought it was , maybe it would be fun to encourage him to share it with her. 

“Will I be shocked?” she asked.

He laughed again.

“I think so!”

She smiled.

“I'm sure I can take it,” she assured him, “I'm not easily shocked, sweetheart.”

 

Now the family meeting was over, as Cain ran back into the house, Oswald had stiffly got up and told his son he was sorry, but his leg was hurting and he needed to spend the day in bed. Molly had given him one of those looks of promise that quickened his heart as she had added that she would be up to look after Daddy very soon, and after she had gone through to the front room with Cain and left him with April, she went upstairs and joined her husband in the bedroom and locked the door.

“You still look exhausted,” she said as Oswald began to undress.

“I feel like I need a week in bed!”

“Sounds good to me!” Molly said brightly as she smoothed down the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him remove his clothing.

“When you look at me,” Oswald said as he stripped off his shirt, “I feel attractive...” then he took off his pants and underwear and glanced in the mirror at his slightly over weight body, as he chuckled, “But when  _ I  _ look at me I see... a fat penguin!”

“ _ My _ chubby Penguin!” Molly said as playfulness and desire filled her voice, “Come here!”

Oswald laughed softly as he got on to the bed, despite the pain that nagged at his damaged leg that had seen far too much strain the day before. Then Molly ran her hands over his body as she placed gentle kisses on his scars, and her hands slid down to his waist, then lower as she gave a squeeze to the extra pounds he had piled on since the war.

“I love you so much, Oswald!” she said, and as her hair trailed his body and she raised her head and their eyes met, he felt instantly aroused. Molly's breath against his thighs made him moan softly as he parted his legs, then Molly lovingly placed her hand beneath his knee, shifting his damaged leg into a comfortable position, then her mouth was warm and wet and drawing in his hardness as she sucked slowly and gently. She caressed his balls lightly, then more firmly, then paused to release him and kiss them gently as he shivered and caught his breath. His hand slid through her hair as she reached up, grasping his other hand, as he held on tightly.

“ _I'm holding on to you,”_ she whispered as she paused to place a kiss on his belly, right over an old bullet wound, and then she gave his hand a squeeze,  _ “I'm taking you all the way to paradise...” _

“ _And back again!”_ he gasped as he parted his legs wider and laid back, clinging to her hand as she took him in her mouth again and began to suck more firmly. 

Oswald allowed the moment to cover him completely and take him over as he lay there naked with his legs spread and Molly sucked him hard, but slowly, making him wait for release. When the moment came, he was shaking as he let go of her hair and reached down, she released his cock and he could feel her breath on his body as he grabbed at his hardness and started to pump it roughly.

“ _That's right, Oswald, let me see you come... you have that orgasm, my darling, good boy, come hard for me...”_

Oswald gave a gasp as a hot white stream pumped from his erection, it ran in spurts and then the last of it leaked slowly and Molly took him in her mouth again, sucking out the last trace of his orgasm as he gave a low moan and that last throb was amplified as she sucked hard, then she released him again and placed a kiss in his pubic hair. Oswald was breathing hard, his face was flushed, he was still exhausted from the battle the day before and now too tired to move as she stripped off her clothing, got in bed next to him and folded the covers over both of them, then she pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Oswald's eyes were closed as he smiled.

“I love you too, Molly,” he whispered back, and then he slipped into a deep sleep as she held him, watching him rest as she guessed she would have at least a couple of hours before April or Cain needed her downstairs - and to spend this time just watching her beautiful husband sleep as he took the rest his leg desperately needed after the chaos of the day before, felt like pure luxury.

 

“ _I feel like I'm a terrible person.”_

As River spoke those words, she rubbed cautiously at the back of her bandaged hand as she paced the small bedroom in the staff quarters on the other side of the house, in the room where Victor was staying – at least for now, his stuff was staying here, since they had got together, it was clear he would be sharing her room most nights unless Penguin sent him out on a job. As Victor stood there watching River worry and stress, he let her speak, listening before giving his opinion.

“I did some terrible things, Victor!”

She turned from the window. The bruise to her face was fading already and her eye was no longer watering because she was wearing her spare monocle. There was a look in her eyes of deep distress, and he understood why she felt that way, she was Doc baby Fish, her mission in life was to save lives and clearly, by that look in her eyes, she had done the opposite to get through her ordeal. Whatever she was about to tell him, he felt sure he would be proud of her - even if she was horrified at what she had done...

“Just tell me, it's okay,” he said as he looked at her fondly.

She gave a deep sigh, closing her eyes for a moment as she shook her head.

“Oh Victor, I'm a monster!” she looked at him tearfully.

“I doubt that's true, but please continue...”

Despair reflected in her eyes.

“I used one of Velaska's people to help me out, I forced her... I gave her an ice pick lobotomy to try and make her compliant!”

Victor's eyes lit up keenly as he smiled.

“Cool!”

She shook her head.

“No, it was a terrible thing to do! Then I stole her stiletto knife and stabbed Velaska, I did a precision wound so he would bleed slowly to death!”

“Even better, _wow_ Baby Fish, I'm impressed!”

“But that was such an evil thing to do, even to him! I'm a doctor, I save lives - I don't take them!”

Victor stepped closer and put his arms around her.

“Listen,” he said, “You did what you had to do to survive. That's your Dad coming out in you. Penguin would do what ever it took to get through a situation like that. But he would have fought his way out. You're not a fighter, you're a doctor. You had to use your best skills. And you're still alive because of it!”

She looked into his eyes and started to smile as she saw the love reflected in his gaze.

“I'm not proud of myself, but yes I'm still here.”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly.

“Now tell me, _miss monster_ , what's your next plan?”

“Saving Julian.”

He smiled too.

“You're no monster, Baby Fish. You're a good person. But I think the ice pick lobotomy was an excellent idea! I wish I'd been there to see it!”

“Oh, Victor, it's not awesome -”

He leaned close again, silencing her with a soft kiss as love shone in his gaze, and as she returned his attention with equal tenderness, no more was said about her doubts as he held her and reassured her that she was loved, even if she still felt terrible about the violence she had been driven to commit out of the need to survive.

 

Life settled quietly in the house over the next few days. Eventually Oswald scheduled a meeting with the gang leaders and then explained away the reason his men had handled the Velaska crisis alone. Then he moved on to the subject of usual business, and the meeting was over. His wounds were healing and so were Molly's. The city was no longer on lock down and the process had begun to clear away the rubble and make plans for repairing the damage done by Velaska's bomb in the city. The schools reopened, much to Cain's disappointment. Life was returning to to normal quickly, but for a city like Gotham that had seen so much trouble over the years, dusting itself off and starting again was second nature.

Just over a week after Oswald had spoken to the contact who owed him a big favour, he got a call to say that the task was complete. Julian was now a Cobblepot, legally Oswald's eldest son and his fictitious past had been made to look like a very convincing truth indeed. Everything had been covered. The only person who did not know was Shepard Lambrick, and when he showed up in Gotham, he would be in for a huge shock...

And in all this time, Oswald had still not told River about Fish Mooney. Molly had asked him when he would break the news and all he had said in reply was _Not yet_ , because, he explained, he wanted life to settle down again, he wanted them all to have some normality in this house before another bombshell dropped.

 

But then, despite his best efforts to make life run smoothly, something _did_ happen, and when it happened, it was so unexpected, it was devastating.

Molly had been in the kitchen preparing to bake an apple crumble. Oswald loved her cooking even though he said her pies and pastries and desserts did nothing to slim down his _fat Penguin body_ , and she had replied by giving him a kiss and then feeding him a spoonful of the sweetened apples she had just cooked up.

“But I love you, my gorgeous chubby man!” she said warmly, “I wouldn't have you any other way!”

Oswald had smiled and blushed, then grabbed another spoonful of the apple sauce, and then left the kitchen. She noticed he was walking easier now. He was over the worst of the strain he had put on his leg when running from that bomb. Her wounds were healing well too, her arm was still sore but the wound was closed up and the stitches were out now. It seemed like yesterday when they had got battered and bruised saving River, but all things healed in time, and on that day life felt good.

Then she heard Cain calling from the garden.

“ _Get up, get up!”_ he yelled.

She looked to the window. Julian was slumped on the ground, below the tree house. Molly ran outside as her heart raced in panic. Iris was on the ground, on her knees as she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, tearfully saying his name as he gave no response.

“Did he fall?” Molly asked as she reached them.

Cain shook his head and looked up at his mother tearfully.

“He said he was dizzy, then he said he couldn't see and he fell on the ground!”

Okay Cain, try not to worry,” Molly said as she tried to sound calm in front of her son. She looked back at the house, and saw the window to Oswald's study was open.

“ _Oswald!”_ she yelled, _“Fetch River!”_

He looked out of the window and alarm registered on his face as he saw Julian motionless on the ground, then he hurried off to alert his daughter.

As Iris knelt beside him, her face was streaked with tears.

“ _This is it, I'm losing him!”_ she said in a tearful voice, _“I didn't expect it to be so soon!”_

“And he's going to be okay, remember?” Molly said in a low voice.

Just then April came outside and she stared in alarm at Julian.

“Oh no...”

“Take Cain inside for me...”

“But I want to help Julian!”

“Only River can do that,” Molly told him, and as her son sobbed as April led him away, Molly blinked away tears. It seemed River could possibly help him, but she could give no definite answer. Molly gently swept his fair hair off his face and felt him tremble as he lay there giving no response, as Iris said his name again.

“It's okay, Julian,” she said quietly, “River's on her way.”

 

An hour later, Julian was upstairs and put to bed and made as comfortable as possible. River had taken her time checking him over, and then she had left the room where Molly and Oswald waited with a very distraught Iris.

“It seems his condition is taking him very quickly now it's reached crisis point,” she said, looking to Molly and her Dad and then, she focussed on Iris as she spoke calmly and slowly, knowing this shock was still sinking in, “We have a plan in place, we know what will happen next... he's barely aware most of the time but he's in and out of consciousness and if you want to see him before I begin phase two, you should sit with him now. Try not to show distress, keep him calm. He needs to have a peaceful end, it's the best way we can close this phase of his life for him, okay?”

Iris nodded and wiped her eyes.

“Dad,” River added, “He asked for you, he said he wants his Uncle Oz.”

Oswald blinked away tears.

“Then I should see him right away,” he said, and he went into Julian's room as Iris followed.

“How long does he have?” Molly said quietly.

River shook her head.

“I knew it was impossible to estimate how long could last... but it's taking him very quickly and he's in no pain so that's a blessing. He can't see right now, and when he wakes he's very scared. I told him his vision will return after treatment, but understandably it's causing him a lot of distress.”

“Poor Julian,” Molly said.

“I should go in there with him,” River added, “He needs a doctor with him now, because it won't be long.”

 

Julian was on his back, in his bed and resting against soft pillows. His breathing was slow, his eyes were closed and Iris sat beside him and took hold of his hand as Oswald sat on the other side of the bed and spoke softly to him.

“Julian, I'm here, it's Uncle Oz...”

And on hearing his voice, Julian slowly opened his eyes, then he tensed as he looked about the room, seeing only darkness.

“ _I can't see!”_ he whispered as tears ran from his eyes.

Oswald shifted closer and put an arm around him, then rested Julian's head on his shoulder as he stroked his hair reassuringly.

“I'm right here,” he repeated, “And you _can_ see, Julian...”

“No, I can't,” he said tearfully.

Oswald held back on crying as he kept strong, knowing Julian couldn't see the tears in his eyes but would certainly hear the grief he felt in his voice.

“Remember that day long ago when you came to visit the city as a small child and I lifted you up so you could see the river and all the big buildings across the other side?”

“Yes...”

“Remember it now,” Oswald told him, “You're five years old and you're looking at the water...”

Julian drew in a weak breath and suddenly his tension left him as in his mind's eye, his teenage Uncle Oz lifted him into his arms and there was the sparkling, sunlit water and the gleaming buildings on the other side.

“ _I can see it...”_ he murmured, _“Thank you Uncle Oz...”_

Then he breathed out slowly and his head rested heavily on Oswald's shoulder.

“Julian?” Oswald said quietly, then he stroked his hair, “Julian, say something, talk to me...”

Now his voice was breaking up with tears. He had felt his chest fall still, he knew he had not taken another breath. River folded down the covers and raised Julian's t shirt and pressed a stethoscope to his chest, hearing nothing.

“He's gone,” she said.

As Iris crumbled into soft weeping as she clutched at Julian's hand, Oswald held him closer and started to cry.

“Oh you poor guy, you are far too young to leave us,” he said as tears spilled down his face.

“And I need to take him now,” River reminded him softly, “I can revive him after I've repaired the damage. The sooner we get him over to the clinic, the sooner I can do this for him. Let go, Dad. You too, Iris...”

Oswald leaned over him and placed a kiss on his brow and then got up as Iris tearfully let go of Julian's hand, then she had to be helped from the room by River.

As the door opened, Molly was still waiting outside. She had heard weeping and known at once that he was gone. She saw Oswald's face streaked with tears as he looked to River and said, _“Do it today. Bring him back, River.”_

“I'll do my best, Dad,” she replied, and then Iris looked at Molly and gave a sob, and Molly embraced her as Iris pressed her face against her shoulder, weeping inconsolably.

 

In the hours that followed, Julian was taken to River's clinic and she immediately closed the place down for the next two weeks - far sooner than she had intended. It had come as a shock that Julian had deteriorated so rapidly, after seeming to make such a good recovery. It had almost made her forget the underlying cause that would take his life - the experiments on Shutter Island...

While she worked on her patient, she spoke to him as if he was still alive, because it seemed the best way to cope with having someone close to her dead on the table, while she used harsh cleaning agents to destroy the toxins and then add regenerative formulas to try and repair at least some of the damage. As she worked into the night and then injected the final agent to bring him back, she looked to the monitor that would track his heart rate - and saw nothing but a flat line.

“Come on, Julian,” she said quietly, “Time to come back...”

And the monitor still showed a flat line. River took a slow breath and then looked back at the restorative agents she had used. Then she turned on a small scanner above the table and looked again at the patient's brain tissue.

“Why isn't this enough...” she murmured, and it was then she got a sudden idea and went over to the safe, opened it up and took out the regenerative agent once more.

She parted his hair where the third incision had been made into an old scar to drain the cleansing agent, and cautiously injected a second dose of the restorative, this time without dilution. As she drew the needle out, she looked to the scanner. And her eyes grew so wide she had to adjust her monocle to stop it falling away: The chemicals were swirling and finding their way into the old scars and wounds, as repairing brain tissue began to fill spaces and injuries, where before there had been nothing but eroded damage, the tissue was renewing before her eyes, mimicking the undamaged matter beside it. Then, the magic happened. Brain activity started to spark up, and as it did that, the new blank tissue started to communicate with it.

“Oh my god!” she gasped, “It's not just filling in gaps, it's _functioning_!”

And then Julian's chest rose and fell as he took a breath, then another and the monitor jumped from a flat line to regular spikes of rhythm.

“ _I did it!”_ River exclaimed as she stared at the sight on the scanner, then looked to the heart monitor and watched as Julian continued to breathe. Then she heard a voice behind her and turned sharply.

“How the hell did you replace damaged brain tissue and get it to function so well?” said Hugo Strange as he stood there looking from the scanner to River.

“I added stronger regenerative formula after I tried the treatment as planned. The regenerated tissue just sparked back to life!”

Strange looked at her in surprise.

“River,” he said “I do believe the time has come for me to admit that in some areas of experimental medicine, you have exceeded your teacher!”

River looked to Strange and recalled their quarrel and how she had pulled a gun and spoken such harsh words.

“And once again, I can only apologise for my behaviour last time we met.”

“It is forgotten,” Strange replied, “And I got your message about the memory editing project. You wanted to try it out on Julian as soon as he's ready?”

“Yes, he will need it, wiping out the toxins destroyed his memory completely.”

“Then let's sit down and take some notes on what we need to put back in,” he said to her, and he took a seat at a table on the other side of the room. River was still watching the monitors. Strange laughed.

“You can leave the patient for now, River. There's no need to doubt your genius. You've just created brand new, functioning brain matter – it won't disappear! From what I can see on that scan, a few scars remain but I'd say you've not only brought him back but repaired eighty percent of the brain damage. Now sit down and let us talk about memory editing, and then I think we should have some coffee because you look like you could use it!”

“Coffee first,” said River, and she left the room, glancing back once at her patient, then she headed off the to kitchen with a smile on her face... _Strange had just called her a genius? That certainly had been an unexpected surprise..._ River started to make the coffee, and while she waited for it, she picked up the phone and called her Dad to tell him the good news that Julian was not only back from the dead, but now well enough to make a far better recovery than anyone could have predicted...

 

Iris was sitting alone in Julian's room. She was on the edge of the bed, holding a t shirt he had worn the day before as she pressed her face into it and inhaled the scent he had left behind, as she gave a quiet sob. She didn't hear Oswald enter the room, and as he approached her, he cleared his throat politely, and she looked up to see him standing next to her.

“He's dead,” she said tearfully, “I know River said she can probably bring him back, but what if she can't? I can't let him go, I can't bury him, he should still be here, I miss him so much!”

Oswald limped closer and put his hand on her shoulder as her looked at her kindly, and it was then she saw a look of hope in his eyes.

“River just called,” he said, “She told me Julian's heart is beating and he is breathing. She also said the brain tissue repaired far better than she expected. Hugo Strange is with her now, they may be able to do the memory editing tonight, River gave Julian a very smart cocktail of drugs and with the way the tissue has responded, they could finish the treatment over night - and he could be back with us much sooner than expected!”

He smiled.

She looked up at him. Oswald waited as warmth shone in his gaze. It was sinking in now, he could tell by the way her grief was melting, replaced by tears of joy.

“ _He's alive?”_ she sobbed.

“Yes!” Oswald said joyfully, “Yes my dear, he is very much alive, and he's going to make a far better recovery than River first expected. He's coming home, very soon!”

Iris was shaking as she stood up, and then as he hugged her reminded her again it would be okay, and he patted her back. And over her shoulder, he saw Molly standing there in the open doorway and he was still smiling and the look on his face said it all as Molly smiled too: _Julian was going to be okay, River had saved him..._ As he let go of Iris, who was now smiling as she wiped away her tears, Oswald turned to Molly.

“River is overjoyed it went so well,” he exclaimed, “She even said Hugo Strange told her she's exceeded his genius! He said she's so gifted, that in some areas of medicine, he believes one day she will achieve even more than he has! I'm _so_ proud of her!”

“That's wonderful!” Molly replied, but as Oswald hugged her she felt a sharp jolt, recalling that dream and the words of Fish Mooney:

 _She had said, Strange would say River's ability would be greater than his – and now it had come to pass..._ As she held her husband, he didn't see the look on her face as it paled and worry reflected in her eyes and cold dread gripped at her heart as she worried for the future, fearing that more of the predictions made by Fish would come true...

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 

The next few days went by quietly. Oswald spoke to Iris regarding his plans for Julian to join him and take a role in the underworld. Iris was surprised, then uneasy about it as she pointed out Julian was hardly the kind of guy to want such a dangerous life, but Oswald had reminded her, the danger had been in the old days. Now, the underworld was mostly a peaceful place, and as Julian was now officially his eldest son, it made sense that he could take this chance to learn a new role in his new life. He had also added it might take time, because Julian would still be recovering when he came home, but there was no rush, this was something to think about for the future. He had also made it clear that Julian would always live here, at the family home – but of course, Iris was welcome, as his partner, to stay and share his life.

Now plans had been laid out, and with River confirming the memory editing was complete, it was just a short wait for Julian to return home. Molly and Iris moved his belongings from the small guest room into a new one - and they spent the afternoon getting the larger room ready – it was on the other side of the house, and almost as big as the master bedroom. Oswald had suggested that when Julian returned home, now the son of Penguin, it would be best if he woke in a grand bedroom, his room, the one he shared with Iris, and that there should be family pictures at his bedside too, just to help those fake memories slide into place. River had said the implanted memories would expand, adding new facts, helping him to recall a fake past that had never happened, and he would completely believe it and never question it...

 

Less than two weeks after River had brought him back from death, Julian returned to the house. He was still sleeping deeply and River had not yet given a shot of medication to wake him. Molly helped River put him to bed in his new, comfortable room in a four poster bed that almost shared equal grandeur with Oswald's luxurious master bedroom. Then as Iris came in, she had tearfully kissed his cheek and tenderly stroked his hair and a worried look had come to her eyes as he failed to wake.

“He's not ready yet,” River reminded her, “I need to give him some medication to wake him up. The first person he needs to see is Oswald, and he will see him alone. It's important because the memory editing will tell him Oswald is his father. That will help him recall brand new recollections of his life, a very different life to the one he really had. Then you can see him next, Iris. And he will remember you instantly.”

As she looked down at him sleeping, she suddenly giggled.

“He's certainly going to like the new version of how me met!”

“What's the story?” Molly asked, already feeling bemused as she saw – for the first time since his collapse – the light was coming back to her eyes as Iris smiled.

“He told me that he spent so long in Ashecliffe, he used to fantasise about one of the nurses in there... you know, being nice to him instead of torturing him...he said he sometimes fantasises about _me_ being a hot nurse who.... takes care of his _private_ needs...”

“And basically, that's sort of what we put in,” River explained, “Julian is going to realise he has a lot of scars and the story is, he's had several surgeries over the years to try and treat a brain injury he suffered as a baby when his pregnant mother was hit by a drunk driver... He thinks all of this is true...and he believes his last surgery was recently, and it was successful - and that's how he met Iris – she was one of the nurses who took care of him.”

Iris laughed again.

“He is going to love that _so_ much!”

“Well,” River replied, “I did say that while his original memory is gone, he may still react to certain things that trigger the past, but it will be a feeling more than a memory. So it's very likely his fantasy about a hot nurse will definitely remain when he believes Iris was once his nurse.”

“What about the bad stuff?” Molly asked, “Is he likely to recall the asylum?”

“No, but he might feel freaked out or upset if he ever hears anything on the news about patients being mistreated, or he sees images that trigger an emotional response to his time in Ashecliffe. But he won't know why.”

Oswald entered the room and smiled warmly.

“I see my new son is home at last.”

He limped over to his bedside and spoke to his daughter.

“I think you should wake him now.”

Molly stepped away from the bed and looked to Iris.

“You can see him very soon,” she said, “But we should leave now,” and Iris followed her out of the room and Molly closed the door behind them.

River was preparing an injection as she spoke again.

“Dad, I'm going to wake him and then step back because you're the first person he needs to see to trigger the new memories.”

Oswald sat down on the side of his bed and looked to the pictures placed close by: Him and Molly, River, Iris, the kids... Then as he saw the needle slide into his flesh, he felt sure he certainly loved Julian as his own son because at the sight of that needle, he had felt an ache in his own arm as he felt the pain of it. River carefully injected him, and then took hold of her medical bag and went over to the other side of the room.

Oswald smiled as he watched as Julian stirred from sleep, then he opened his eyes and at first, as he looked up, he seemed confused.

“You're awake at last!” Oswald said gently, “Welcome back, Julian! Do you know who I am?”

Julian looked up at him, and as the altered memories kicked in, suddenly recalled a memory of being a very small boy and a teenage Oswald Cobblepot lifting him into his arms as he showed him the view of the Gotham river and the city beyond it. And he had said, _Some day, Daddy shall be someone in this city!_

Julian smiled as his eyes shone with love.

“Of course I know who you are, you're my Dad!” he said, and as Oswald hugged him tightly, he blinked away tears.

“And you're my precious, brave boy,” Oswald told him, “It's so good to have you back with us, Julian!” then he indicated to the pictures.

“Do you recognise the people in the photos?”

Julian looked at the pictures next to his bed.

“How could I forget my own family? That's Molly, my stepmother... and my sister River and her adopted daughter April...” then he saw a picture of Cain and laughed as a cheeky look came to his eyes, “And that's my baby brother Cain, the little leprechaun!”

Oswald laughed.

“Leprechaun? Oh very funny, Molly's going to love you for saying that! He's missed you!”

“Well, I'm back now. And I can't wait to see him again!”

“And do you know who this lady is?” he asked, indicating to a picture of Iris.

Julian looked at the picture and his eyes lit up as he smiled.

“That's my girlfriend Iris! I love her so much, she was nurse, she looked after me when I had my last surgery...and I think it was a success?”

“Yes it was,” Oswald replied, and as Julian sat up with no help it was instantly clear his former weakness was gone. Oswald blinked away tears as he smiled, thinking, _River, you're a genius..._

“Iris wants to see you now, can she come in?” he asked.

“I can't wait to see her!” Julian exclaimed, and as River slipped out of the room while he was still talking with Oswald, Iris came in.

“Welcome home,” was all she managed to say as tears filled her eyes.

“Come here, Iris!” he said fondly, and as she struggled to hold back from crying, she hurried over to his bedside and wrapped her arms around him, then they shared a kiss and Oswald decided it was definitely time he left them to enjoy their reunion, and he quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Then his phone rang. It was Victor.

“Guess who's been spotted in Gotham?” he said.

“Shepard Lambrick?”

“He's just showed up and booked into a hotel. I have a feeling he's going to be asking around and it won't be too long before he pays you a visit.”

“You know what to do,” said Oswald.

“Yes Penguin,” Victor replied, and then the call ended and Oswald went back downstairs to find Molly, and he had look of smug satisfaction on his face as he thought about his plan:

He couldn't wait for Shepard to find out how much had been altered without his knowledge. He would refuse to believe it, he would insist Julian was his son, and maybe, he would even be considered crazy as well as dangerous and wind up in Arkham... Now _that,_ after what he had done to Julian, really would be sweet revenge...

 

When Oswald went downstairs, he heard the sound of Molly calling to Cain from the garden, telling him lunch was almost ready. Then as he met with River as she headed towards the front door, he made his decision: Now was the best time to tell her about Fish. Life had returned to normal, and he just had one last piece of explaining to do...

“River,” he said, “I need to talk to you about something. It's important. Can we go to my study?”

“I was about to go to work, I need to reopen the clinic...” she noticed the look in her father's eyes, “Is something wrong?”

“Not exactly,” he replied, “But I must talk to you in private.”

River walked with him to the study and as they went inside and Oswald closed the door, she looked at her father with concern in her gaze.

“You seem worried. Is something wrong? It can't be about Julian, he's making a fine recovery -”

“No, this a private matter that I should have told you about as soon as you came into my life. But everything was perfect when we became a family. What I need to tell you happened so very long ago....” Oswald became tearful as he stood there in the middle of the room, silently begging for her forgiveness as his eyes grew red with tears.

“Dad, just talk to me!” River exclaimed as she stood close to him, placing her hand gently on his arm as he struggled to find the right words. But there were no easy or right words, only the truth...

“ _Fish Mooney is still alive.”_

River stared at him in silence. Oswald tearfully explained everything.

“She died after a gang war, she was still alive when I got her to Hugo Strange but she passed away while he was trying to save her. She had terrible injuries, she was also pregnant for the second time and yes, the baby was mine. Strange put the baby on ice, and agreed after much persuasion from me, to try and revive Fish for a second time. He warned me it might not work, and he was right. She's almost clinically dead, I've been keeping her alive in a safe house for many years. She will never wake from her coma.”

“And the grave at Gotham cemetery?” River said in a hushed voice.

A tear ran down Oswald's face.

“It's empty. Fish had a lot of underworld enemies so I thought it best to let them believe she was gone. I still visit that grave and when I talk to it, I feel like I'm talking to her memory. I know there's no hope for your mother, but as long as she's breathing, and that baby is frozen, maybe, one day, she can somehow carry that child as she wanted to... I should have told you long ago. _Please forgive me, Baby Fish!_ ”

His words had shocked her. But River blinked away tears as she shook her head.

“No, no, don't cry, Dad! I have no feeling for the woman who gave birth to me and then gave me up. I was adopted by a kind and loving couple who raised me well and started me off on my career in medicine - and when I got older I used to dream that one day, I'd meet the father who didn't know of my existence. I love you, Dad. She's nothing to me.”

“But she's your mother!” Oswald wiped his eyes, “You must feel something for her!”

“I may be able to help her,” River added, “In time, when I've had enough time to look back on the agents that worked successfully with Julian's treatment. It could take a while, maybe a year or more... if I can, I'll help her – but as a doctor and nothing more.”

Gratitude shone in his gaze.

“Oh River, thank you so much! I always got the feeling her case was not hopeless!”

“But I'm more concerned about this foetus that's been frozen,” she added, “It won't be viable for much longer. They can only stay on ice for so many years...”

“Strange said he can't keep the baby frozen for much longer, maybe another eight months, then he will have to turn off the freezer and... _dispose_ of it...” he blinked away more tears, _“That's your sibling River! A child who will never be born. I kept it preserved in the hope that maybe, one day -”_

“Dad,” she said as she held out her arms, “It's okay, come here... Oh my goodness, what terrible choices you had to make all by yourself so long ago!”

And as she drew him into her arms and hugged him Oswald wept, partly out of relief that River was so forgiving, and partly because a great weight had just been lifted from his heart. That secret had been a heavy burden to carry alone over the years, and to know River understood his reason for keeping silent, was instant relief.

“Do you want to see her?” he asked as he let go.

“Not yet,” River replied, “But when I've worked on some theories, _if_ I can help her, I will. Just remember she's been brought back twice and clearly, the second attempt partly failed. I may be brilliant, but I don't work miracles.”

Oswald nodded.

“I'm just happy that you can forgive me.”

“There's nothing to forgive, Dad,” River promised him.

 

Two more days passed by. In that time, Julian had recovered well, when he wasn't out in the garden watching over his little brother or spending time with Iris and now enjoying a very passionate relationship, he was helping Molly in the kitchen or following Oswald around, asking when he could learn about this exciting new job he had planned for him in the underworld. By now River had quietly observed him and made her assessment:

He certainly had recovered from eighty percent of the damage. His hand didn't shake any more, his leg wasn't weak and he could walk easily without the need of a cane for support. His mind was sharper, too – but he could be forgetful and if he got emotional, his words still struggled to articulate and his speech briefly became very basic, but he could live with that. Julian had made a remarkable recovery. Now, with his new memories in place, he carried none of the emotional damage left by his former life, either. He was an energetic and humorous guy who liked to play pranks, River had lost count how many times Molly had called him a _cheeky little sod_ before giving him an affectionate hug, but that was who Julian was now, and it was wonderful to see. He was still in the habit of saying too much at inappropriate times, but Molly and Oswald reacted to his _little moments_ with humour, because as Oswald said, most people had this stop button in their heads when they knew they shouldn't say something, but Julian didn't seem to have one of those... And for some reason, as soon as Oswald had introduced Victor and explained that River's boyfriend worked for the family, Julian had assumed he was the butler, and asked him to fetch some tea, to which Victor had simply replied, “No, Julian. Do it yourself,” and then he had looked away and laughed. And life had started to settle down, but there were still storm clouds brewing, and even though Oswald felt certain of emerging victorious, he was still waiting for that final dark cloud to loom over the house, and for the last of his plans to fall into place and lay the past to rest forever...

 

One evening a few days later, while Cain was in bed and April had gone upstairs to reluctantly finish homework, River was out with Victor enjoying dinner in a fancy restaurant in the city, and Oswald was on the sofa in the front room with Molly, and as Iris giggled as she lay cuddled up to Julian on the other sofa across the room, Julian whispered something and kissed the back of her neck and Oswald glanced at Molly.

“Those two are like a pair of lovestruck teenagers!” he said in a low voice, “I think it's time we had an early night, my love!”

“So we can go upstairs do the same?” Molly asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

“An excellent idea!” Oswald replied.

And then a loud knocking at the door echoed down the hallway.

“ _Open up, Oswald!”_ yelled Shepard Lambrick.

Iris and Julian sat up at once, Iris was visibly alarmed as she recognised his voice. Julian, who remembered nothing of his old life, looked to Iris and then to Molly and Oswald in confusion.

“Who the fuck is that banging our door down?” he exclaimed.

“Don't worry,” Iris said as he got up quickly and she did too, and she reached for him, placing a hand on his arm as she noticed he was getting worked up already because Shepard was knocking aggressively and yelling again for Oswald.

“I'll handle this,” Oswald said, and he got up and left the room as Molly followed.

As Oswald opened the door Shepard stood there with a cold, accusing glare in his eyes, then he pushed past him and entered the house.

“Where is my son?” he demanded.

Oswald's gaze blazed with anger.

“In a better place now, Shepard,” he said quietly, “How is your little plan to make a killing - in every way - out of the new Tetch virus? I heard that dream went up in smoke!”

“And you will pay for that,” Shepard said darkly as he leaned in close, “As soon as I have you charged with assisting my son's escape from Ashecliffe, _and_ with his kidnap!”

Amusement sparkled in Oswald's eyes as he turned away, looking at Molly. If she wasn't facing Shepard she would have laughed, because the victorious expression on Oswald's face was almost comical.

“Oh no, please don't call the cops!” he exclaimed, feigning alarm.

“Too late, they're on their way!” Shepard said angrily, and Oswald walked off towards the front room, still hiding the gleam of triumph in his eyes as Shepard followed.

As they entered the front room, Shepard stared at Julian, who stared back, then Iris tried to hide her unease as she linked hands with Julian and stood beside him, and looked to Oswald and said, “Who the hell is this guy?”

Shepard's eyes widened.

“Iris, you know me! I find it hard to believe you would get involved with these people... and why are you standing so close to my son?”

Julian looked at him in confusion, then he looked to Oswald.

“Why is this crazy asshole calling me his son?” he demanded, “Who is he, Dad?”

“He is no one you ever need concern yourself with, Julian,” said Oswald as that smug look of victory was back on his face as he poured a celebratory drink, then he turned sharply back to face Shepard.

“He is _not_ your son,” Oswald stated, “This is Julian Cobblepot, _my_ son.”

Hatred burned in Shepard's eyes.

“ You won't get away with this bullshit, Oswald! Julian, come over here!”

“ _I don't know you!”_ Julian yelled as he began to get worked up, _“Fuck off!”_

Iris pulled him closer as she spoke softly, telling him to calm down.

“He's just some crazy guy,” she added, as she stroked Julian's hair and looked into his eyes, “It's okay, no one is taking you away from your family – or from me. Your Dad won't let that happen.”

Oswald stood there with the drink in his hand, regarding Shepard with an icy glare.

“In some ways, I pity you,” Oswald said, “All those years, broken marriages, no children.. it must have made you a little crazy.”

“He is MY son!” Shepard raged, and then the doorbell sounded.

“GCPD,” called Jim Gordon.

And Molly looked at Oswald as her eyes widened.

“Oh feck, it's the cops!” she exclaimed, faking alarm.

“You'd better let them in before they break down the door,” Shepard told her, “Your husband won't get away with this. He kidnapped my son! Julian belongs in an institution, you've no right to be keeping him here! How did you make him so obedient, did you drug him?”

Oswald said nothing as he stood by the fireplace with the drink in his hand.

“No matter,” said Shepard, “The cops are here now, they can end this for me!”

As Molly returned, Jim Gordon was with her, and so were four cops in uniform.

“Hello, old friend,” said Oswald.

And as Jim went over to join him, Shepard followed, but stood back as he was suddenly aware the uniformed officers were right behind him. As Jim looked at Oswald, there was deep compassion in his eyes, and Oswald knew why – Jim had been forced to look into the allegation abut Julian Lambrick, Shepard's missing son. And he had instead found Julian Cobblepot, who according to _very_ convincing faked documents, was the eldest son of Penguin – a son he had never known about until now... Oswald wanted that drink right away, but first, he needed watch the rest of his plan fall into place. Jim had certainly fallen for the fake, altered facts in his past, he could see it in his eyes...

“Oswald,” Jim said, “I'm so sorry this crazy guy has been harassing your family – especially your son,” then he lowered his voice as he leaned closer, _“You should have told me years ago – about Julian. Now I get it, I know what drove you to make this life for yourself, you just wanted security for him...”_

Oswald secretly basked in the glory of his own successful planning as he faked an emotional expression as he nodded and then looked to Julian.

“I'm very proud of my son,” he said, “His life has been such a struggle, but recently, he had some treatment that was very successful. Now I'm hoping he can have a better quality of life.”

Jim looked to Julian.

“Hi,” he said, “I'm Jim Gordon. I'm sorry about this trouble, Mr Cobblepot, I'll be gone soon.”

Julian shrugged.

“What ever,” he replied, “I just want _that_ crazy guy out of here!” and he indicated to Shepard.

“Do you see what's happening here?” Shepard demanded as he stepped closer to Jim, “Oswald kidnapped my son, he's been hiding him, my son should be in an institution -”

“Mr Lambrick,” said Jim, “You don't have a son. You have _never_ had a son. Julian is Oswald's son, and apparently this is not the first time you've harassed his family!”

“Shepard is quite deranged,” Oswald added.

Then two more cops came in and called to Jim.

“We found something in Lambrick's car,” said one of the officers, holding up the remote control belonging to Jeremiah Velaska – the control for the bombs that had been planted in the city...

“We also found some guns and a map of this estate,” the cop added, “A couple of knives, and notes on how to dispose of bodies using acid. There's names of the intended victims on the back...I'd rather not read them aloud right now...”

“Oh my God!” Molly said in horror.

Oswald looked away as he smirked, guessing Victor hadn't just linked Shepard to Velaska with that remote, he had made him out to be plotting to kill the entire family, too... _Well played, Victor,_ he thought silently.

“He has threatened our lives on many occasions,” Oswald added, “And I heard a rumour he once associated with Velaska. How I hate that name...I'm sure I'll never get over the ordeal of what he did to me five years ago!”

As he faked a sob, Molly briefly comforted him.

“ _I'll kill you for this!”_ Shepard raged, and it only made his situation worse as Jim had him arrested and charged with everything from conspiracy to plant bombs to attempting to kill the entire Cobblepot family. He was still protesting his innocence, screaming it loudly as he was dragged away.

Then Jim lingered back as the squad cars left, and as he stepped closer to Oswald and began to speak, Molly realised he had completely believed everything he had learned, the fabricated facts from Oswald's altered, faked past...

“I just want to say I'm sorry for looking into your past,” Jim began, “I had to take his allegations seriously, and when I turned up everything I could find on you, I saw something I'd never noticed before – maybe because I'd never looked for it...” Oswald was sure he had never seen such deep compassion in Jim's eyes before as he continued, “High school sweethearts too young to be in love, let alone having a baby... and she was nine months pregnant when she was hit by a drunk driver, killing her and injuring her unborn child... Doctors resuscitated her and kept her on life support until the baby was delivered and then she passed away, leaving you a single father at the age of sixteen to a baby son with a serious head injury... You sent him away from Gotham to grow up away from the underworld, and over the years he's had several surgeries to try and improve his condition. This is why you fought so hard to be where you are today – I get it now, you did it for your son, Julian.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“I never said a word to anyone, Jim,” he replied, “Mother was _so_ ashamed of me when she found out I'd got a girl in trouble at such a young age! But actually, I must confess I've _always_ been a magnet for women, it's curse more than a blessing!”

Molly turned away to hide a her giggle as she bit her lip, recalling Oswald had related this tale to her when he had explained the cover story that was being laid out, and then he had added, _“I can't wait for Jim to uncover it! As soon as word gets out, it will destroy the rumour that's followed me for years – the one about me being a virgin until I met Fish Mooney!”_

“I'm sorry you've had to put up with Shepard Lambrick harassing you,” Jim said, “You can be sure he won't ever bother you again. I'd better get back to work, enjoy the rest of your evening,” he glanced back and smiled, “It was nice to meet you, Julian,” he added, then he left the room.

Oswald and Molly exchanged a glance, and they waited until the front door had closed and the last of the cars had left the driveway, then Oswald's eyes lit up with victory and he drank down his brandy and set the glass down on the table.

“Who was that guy?” Julian asked.

“No one of importance, son,” Oswald said, and then he smiled fondly, “You and Iris enjoy the rest of your evening, Molly and I are going to have an early night.”

Then he left the room with Molly beside him, they joined hands and as they reached the top of the stairs, Molly giggled. They made their way to the master bedroom and went inside then Molly locked the door behind them and finally, she laughed as Oswald's eyes shone with glee.

“Oh Oswald!” she exclaimed, “You poor thing, it must have been such a hard life, being such a pussy magnet! Never mind, my love – you've got me now, I'll fight them all off for you!”

And Oswald chuckled as he kissed her, and then as they fell back on to the soft bed together, she rolled on top of him and ran her fingers through his hair.

“You're a genius, Oswald,” she said as admiration shone in her gaze, “An absolute genius...”

Then she tugged at his shirt and pushed the fabric away from his chest, raining kisses on to old scars as she whispered words of love.

 

Much later, after they had rested in sheets damp from the shared heat of their lovemaking, Oswald was sleeping soundly as Molly turned over, unable to slip free of the dream that held her in its grasp:

Images flickered through her mind, dark and terrifying and she could not stop them as they played out:

Oswald's eyes were tearful as he took hold of her hands. _“It's bad news, my love,” he said in a shaken voice, “I don't have long...there's no cure...”_ Then she saw him take her in his arms in the bedroom, and as she held him she looked down and saw bruises where needle marks looked fresh. The scene switched to the garden as Cain ran up to him and he bent stiffly and hugged him, and as he let go, he looked at Molly with determination in his eyes. _“I'm going to fight this,”_ he said, _“I have so much to live for!”_

Then the scene changed again as handcuffs snapped on to Oswald's wrists. She saw darkness and prison bars, then Oswald looking weak and pale as he sobbed and spoke into the phone, _“Molly, I don't want to die in here!”_ he wept.

Then more scenes flickered, she saw herself weeping inconsolably on the floor in the kitchen of the mansion, and suddenly the radio by the window jumped to life on its own and started playing a familiar song. Liam spoke into her ear.

“ _They're playing our song, Molly. Time to get up and do something. Don't let this break you, find your fight, find your fire again – your husband needs you to fight for him and I'm with you all the way!”_

Then she saw Fish Mooney and heard her say, _“Your husband, separated from you by prison bars...your sick husband! And you will feel powerless, because you_ _can't fight this with your fists or with guns! You need my help and I owe you!”_

Then she was outside that pub by the sea as the sign creaked in the wind and Fish was dressed in black as she stood there and said, _“ If you doubt my word, I will prove it to you when I wake!”_ she pointed with a gloved hand to the painted pub sign that swayed in the wind. _“Mermaid,”_ she stated.

“ _But you don't owe me anything!”_ Molly yelled.

“ _I will when you save my daughter.”_ Said Fish.

 

Molly woke with a gasp. It was early morning and the sun was starting to rise. She looked to her husband, who was sleeping beside her, and then she pushed her damp hair off her face as she thought about all she had seen in that terrible dream:

_Fish had said she owed her for saving her daughter. But she hadn't saved River, Victor had saved her..._

“It's just a bad dream,” she muttered as she sank back against her pillow and draped her arm around Oswald. He stirred and gave a sigh and carried on sleeping. But those images stayed with her and she couldn't shake the memory of it, and that morning as he slept on, Molly held her husband a little tighter as she tried to convince herself that Strange praising River's genius just as Fish had said he would had been a coincidence, it had to be – the rest of it was too terrible to contemplate ever coming true...

 

_The months passed by._

Life remained good, but once in a while, when the nightmares surfaced, Molly brushed it all aside and reminded herself that after losing Liam to a gang war and then almost losing Oswald to a savage beating from Velaska over five years back, it shouldn't really surprise her that when she had bad dreams, they were about losing Oswald. But he was fine, the family were all well, River and Victor were happy together, River's clinic was doing well and she had also been making time to research her mother's condition- although so far she had said there was no reason for her to pay Fish a visit. April was doing well at school, Cain was his usual happy self, and Iris and Julian were a close and devoted couple. Julian had only been a part of the family for a few months, but now it seemed as if he had been there forever - and belonged there, too.

And Jim had certainly been right that Shepard Lambrick would never trouble them again – with Velaska's bomb controls found in his car along with other evidence, he was found guilty of conspiring to bomb the city, and plotting to kill the Cobblepot family. He was sent away for life to an asylum – a place that had recently been attacked and now had watertight security – he was sent to Ashecliffe Asylum on Shutter Island. When he heard the news, Oswald laughed so hard his sides ached, and then he had gone into the front room and given Julian a big hug, and when he had asked him why, Oswald had simply said, “Because you're my son.”

By now it was November and the trees were losing their leaves as the cold wind brought with it the reminder that winter had almost arrived. Then one afternoon as River returned home, she walked into the kitchen and sat down and put her head in her hands and cried. Molly had asked her what was wrong, and River had explained. Then Cain had run in and River had wiped her eyes and said she would speak later.

 

Molly and River left the house and went for a drive, and on the way, they stopped off at a church where Molly parked the car and got out. As River followed, she wrapped her scarf warm about her throat as she followed Molly towards the open church doors.

“What are we doing here?” she asked as Molly stood there wrapped in a thick blue winter coat as the breeze whipped at the ends of her dark hair.

“I listened to you in the car,” Molly said, “And now I need to think...” her footsteps echoed as her boots hit the old stone floor as they walked into the empty church, and Molly sat down at the back and looked to the altar as she made the sign of the cross.

“I don't know if Gotham City abandoned God or if God walked out on the city long ago,” Molly remarked, “But for this situation, I need to pray. Then I'll tell you how I can help you.”

And Molly bowed her head as River sat there and blinked away tears. They sat together in silence for a while, then River felt Molly's hand in her grip, and as she looked at her, she smiled.

“You told me a secret,” Molly said, “And I listened, and now, I think I know what I have to do.”

And as Molly began to speak, River gave a sob and hugged her tightly as the two women sat alone in the empty church, sharing a secret no one else knew, at least, not yet...

 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 

It was Christmas Eve.

Snow had been falling for the past three days, coating the city in a blanket of white, and as the evening grew dark, while the snow continued to fall outside, in the Cobblepot household, the lights burned brightly and the fireplace glowed with heat as Cain walked up to the big Christmas tree and watched the lights on it twinkle, then he looked down at the many gifts piled up around the bottom of it. There were lots, there were always lots every year...

“Which ones are mine?” Cain asked.

“Not telling you,” Molly said as she adjusted a bauble that was about to slip off the tree, then she looked down at him and smiled.

“You did a great job of setting up the nativity scene,” she added, going over to a small table by the window, “There's Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus... _Oh no, who did that?_ ”

She looked over to the sofa, where Julian smiled and looked away as Iris giggled.

“Who put one of Cain's plastic monsters in the stable?”

Cain smiled.

“It was Julian!”

Molly looked over at him as he and Iris exchanged a glance and laughed together.

“It's not a monster, it's a T Rex!” Julian said as he laughed again.

Then Cain smiled up his mother.

“What are you getting Daddy for Christmas?”

“Something very special,” she told him, “Something he will love very much!”

Just then River walked in as she spoke on the phone.

“Hurry up, Victor! If I can take the day off , so can you – although I'm still available to patients if I'm called out in an emergency.”

“And I'm available for emergencies too – Penguin might want to send me out to kill someone!”

River laughed.

“I know what you're doing, Victor... you're buying my present at the last minute!”

“I've been busy!”

“Just hurry home!” she said fondly, then she ended the call and put her phone away and as she looked at Molly, they exchanged a glance and a smile, then River gave her a hug.

“Where's my Dad?” she asked.

“Where he always is on Christmas Eve,” Molly replied, “Sitting alone in his study with a brandy as he stares thoughtfully into the fire.”

“And now we know why,” River added.

“I'll go and talk to him,” Molly said.

”Are you going to give him his gift now?” River asked.

Molly's eyes sparkled.

“Yes!” she said, and as she left the room, River exchanged a glance with Julian and Iris, and Cain suddenly felt like the grown ups all knew a secret.

“What does Mommy have for Daddy?” he asked as he looked up at his big sister.

“You have to keep quiet until she tells him what it is,” said River, and as she whispered in his ear, he started to smile.

 

Molly entered the study to find Oswald sitting alone, looking into the fire as it burned warmly. There was an empty glass on the table beside him, but he was not in the mood for more booze. As she walked up to the comfortable chair where he rested deep in thought, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, pulling him back from memories now lost and distant. He looked at her in surprise.

“Molly, I didn't hear you come in, I was far away...”

“Thinking about Fish?” she asked gently.

There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes and then he shook his head.

“No, at this time of year, with all of us together, I can't help but think about that child that will never be born. Sometimes I look at River and I wonder what her brother or sister would have been like.”

“So did River,” she replied, “Strange said he couldn't keep the baby frozen for much longer, not after all these years. So she came to me and she told me about it. And I went to see Strange,” she smiled, _“Four weeks ago, I wasn't pregnant, but now I am...”_

Oswald leaned hard on the chair and stood up as his jaw dropped and his eyes filled with tears.

“You mean you've...”

Molly's eyes shone with love as she nodded.

“I asked him to implant me with the foetus. That was four weeks ago. I'm four months pregnant, and it's not mine but it's definitely yours – and that little baby you made with Fish is a girl. Another little River, Merry Christmas, Oswald!”

He gave a sob as he hugged her, then as he blinked away tears, he placed his hand on her stomach, feeling the tiny bump that grew there.

“Oh Molly, I didn't think it would be possible, not after being frozen for so many years, I thought there was no hope left for my child!”

Molly laughed softly as she wiped away a tear from his face.

“Penguins thrive in freezing conditions!” she reminded him, “And this little penguin is nice and warm now.. and she's with you for Christmas at last.... well, she's inside me... she will definitely be here to enjoy Christmas next year, she's due in May!”

“I am so happy!” Oswald took her hand and led her towards the door, “Let's tell everyone the good news!”

As they headed for the front room, Molly laughed.

“They know!” she exclaimed, and as they entered the room, Julian hugged him and Iris said _Congratulations_ , then Cain ran up to him and yelled _Mommy's having a baby!_ And as River walked over, Oswald's eyes filled with tears again as he hugged her tightly.

“Finally,” he said, “Your sister who should have been born over twenty years ago, will be arriving – in May!”

Joy shone in River's eyes.

“I can't wait to meet her!” she said excitedly.

Then Molly drew something out of her pocket and handed it to Oswald. It was an envelope, and written on the front were two words: _Hello Daddy._ As he opened it and drew out the ultrasound scan of his unborn daughter, his gaze filled with love.

“What shall we call this one? Another Baby Fish? Will she be a Penguin or a Fish?”

Julian laughed as he put his arm around Iris.

“Neither - she's a leprechaun!”

Molly laughed too as she looked at Julian.

“Another leprechaun? I'm Irish, so all my little babies are leprechauns, are they, Julian?”

“Yes, they are!” he said as amusement danced in his eyes.

“You cheeky sod!” Molly said playfully, and she pulled him close for a hug and kissed his cheek.

River stood closer, looking at the scan her father was holding, and then she turned to Molly as she spoke softly.

“I'm so happy you've done this, Molly – just think, a few more weeks and this pregnancy wouldn't have been possible, my sister would have been out of time. You saved her, thank you.”

Molly had no time to react to River's words as Oswald drew her close and kissed her, then hugged her tightly.

“ _I love you so much, Molly, thank you for saving my baby, you're both so precious to me!”_ he said as emotion filled his voice.

And as they embraced, Molly felt a jolt... What had Fish said, after showing her those terrible glimpses of the future? Molly recalled the dream, where she had yelled to Fish, _“But you don't owe me anything!”_ and Fish had replied, _“But I will when you save my daughter.”_

She had thought Fish had been talking about River. But Victor had saved River on that day. It had never been about River:

_It was about this child, Fish Mooney's unborn daughter, the baby Molly was now carrying...This was the daughter she had saved..._

“Molly?” said Oswald as he drew back and noticed her face had paled, “Are you alright, my dear?”

Molly smiled.

“I'm fine,” she promised.

As they stood together with their family around them she tried not to think too much about Fish Mooney's prophecy as lingering fears nagged at her. Fish had said, dark and terrible times were coming, and suddenly that prediction seemed frighteningly close – but not yet, certainly not today...

Molly pushed aside her fears as she shared a kiss with Oswald, and they celebrated their happy news with those they loved. It would be a Christmas to remember for all the right reasons, for now, life was good...

Molly hoped it would stay that way as she looked to the window as the snow fell - and then she thought of the dream of a dark and horrible future and recalled Fish standing by the Mermaid Inn, telling her she would confirm it was all true when she finally woke...

She knew River had been looking into her mother's case, and had said she now believed it was possible that she might be able to revive her from the coma. But Molly knew if that day came, she could only hope that if Fish awoke, she would _not_ say the word that would prove her worst nightmares were about to come to pass. It was just one word, but it seemed as if that word had the power to destroy everything...

Molly stood by the Christmas tree with Oswald and he put his arm around her and placed a protective hand on her belly as River took a picture, and then as Oswald kissed her again, Molly made a silent wish:

_'Oh Fish, don't say it. If you wake, don't ever say that word you promised you would say in that terrible dream. I don't want to hear it, I don't want the darkness to fall and disaster to wash over us. Please Fish, I love my Oswald, I never want to lose him, I'm happy, let it stay that way... Never wake and say Mermaid...'_

 

End

 

Author Note: I hope this fic was enjoyed!

His Irish Angel PT3: Mermaid is currently in progress! Chapter 1 will be along soon!

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is followed on by His Irish Angel Pt 3 : Mermaid which is now COMPLETE and Part 4 is on the way NOW :-)


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